Dear Editor,
Mrs Philomena Sahoye-Shury was my mentor and teacher as well as others who came into the PPP in the early 1960s. She helped to develop the talents of several women by confidence building as well as being supportive of their needs. In those years, PNC hostility, violence and personal attacks were real time challenges to several Guyanese. It must be recalled that Central Georgetown was the very core of PPP activities in administrative terms. The entire Demerara sub-regions were served by Freedom House administration including the WPO and the youth group PYO.
Comrades had to be disciplined and calm at all times. Together with Christine Ramjattan, Arai Thantoni, Thelma Pinder, Stella Dabang, Doris Awah, Helen McCurious, Ruth Trim, Jamera Mohamed and Mary Nunes and several others, I was actively part of Philo’s mobilisation on behalf of the WPO as well as the Party. Right up until the time she became General Secretary of the Guyana Agricul-tural Workers Union (GAWU), Cde. Shury provided important leadership alongside Cde. Janet and Cheddi Jagan.
Sincerely,
Shirley Edwards