Oluatoyin Alleyne

While the Government has argued that the amendments to the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act are to assist the “overwhelmed” Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to close the loopholes and catch tax cheats, the opposition yesterday accused it of being dictatorial and turning the country into a totalitarian state.

At 78, Eugene Lewis is the chairperson for her community and she supports herself by rearing chickens and ducks, coupled with produce from her fruit trees and she maintains that she wants it no other way since her independence is her greatest asset.

Every day, 19-year-old Shemeka Campbell gets up at around 4 am, prepares her younger siblings for school and heads out to the family shop where she remains until after dark, catching a dollar to help the family survive.

Today when 37-year-old Sonia George opens her eyes, unlike many, her heart would not be merry it would be heavy and she would be crying.

Christmas is a merry time for many but for one man, in his own words, it is “the happiest time in my life” and he continues, “no one in this world likes Christmas more than me.”

Malla Mohabir is on a mission to gain legal guardianship of her grandson who lost his mother earlier this year allegedly at the hands of his father.

By Oluatoyin Alleyne On July 10, 29-year-old Selina Ramotar was brutally stabbed ten times and left to die by the father of her child with whom she had severed a relationship.

Tired of being alerted to all that was negative in Guyana on the worldwide web, a couple decided to fight the bad with the good and created a space specifically designed to showcase all that was positive in the Land of Many Waters, giving birth to the Visit Guyana Facebook page.

We eat every day, but for some of us, preparing and tasting the same food every week, month and year can get boring.

With the first anniversary of the death of Joy Thomas approaching, her grieving grandmother takes comfort in knowing that the woman accused of trafficking her is behind bars and she is calling on the authorities to ensure that the victim in the case remains safe.

When 31-year-old long-distance runner Cleveland Forde walked across the stage last weekend to receive his Bachelor in Business Management (with Distinction) degree from the University of Guyana he did so with pride, but foremost on the athlete’s mind was all that he still wants to achieve in his sports career.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has instructed Guyana Water Inc (GWI) to desist from using the chemical Polyhexanide, known as Antinfek, for water purification until its safety can be confirmed by an external agency.

As HIV became a major epidemic in Guyana, a group of creative minds came together many years ago to use what they do best—the arts—to help to fight the scourge that was becoming a health burden and attacking persons of all ages, genders and status.

Three days ago when he officially donned the black robe and was accepted as a lawyer by Justice Sandra Kertizious young Mandel Moore knew that he had not only fulfilled his dream but that of his now deceased father who was his main motivator to use his brain to be equal to others.

For a young expectant mother, who already has a daughter, the news of government’s plan to increase maternity leave from three months to six months sounded like sweet music to her ear, but soon reality stepped in and she immediately thought about the country’s economy and the affordability of such a move.

A recently-concluded Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Guyana found that one in every five Amerindian girls between ages 15 and 19 was a mother as was one in every four girls who lived in poor houses.

Fifty-two years ago, a mother gave birth to triplets—one boy and two girls.

A deep craving to add value to lives is what drives film director, playwright, script writer, novelist and poet Jude Idaba who is of the opinion that his words introduce cultures, which work to create a more tolerant society.

Ten per cent of Guyana’s women believe that a husband is justified in beating a wife if she neglects the children, demonstrates her autonomy ‒ for example by leaving the house without his permission ‒  refuses him sex, argues with him or burns the food.

Apologising for the delay in setting up the Local Government Commission, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan has committed to it becoming a reality by the end of this month and has also revealed that a building has already been identified to house its permanent staff.