It’s 4 a.m. and I’m sitting in the front seat of a Toyota Hiace passenger van, leaving Guyana’s capital of Georgetown for Lethem, a town on the Brazilian border. My ride may look like just another passenger van, of the sorts used for public transport throughout Asia and Latin America but, the off-road tires, lifted-up suspension, and extra parts … [Read more...] about A Road Through the Kingdom of the Jaguar
Guyana
Are you listening?
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, User, WFinch I’m sure most of us heard this question (Are you listening?) from our parents at some point while growing up. Let’s not get into details here, but overall why were they asking, although I’m not a parent myself (yet) I think it is obvious they were expecting a sign indicating that we got the point, that in the future we … [Read more...] about Are you listening?
Getting on the grid
Sitting down for dinner last night with a group of colleagues, I took out my cell phone and placed it on the table next to my plate. It was practically an unconscious reflex (let’s ignore for a moment my gross mealtime etiquette violation here), and it took me a second to realize I had done it. “Why did I just take my phone out,” I finally said. “I don’t get any cell … [Read more...] about Getting on the grid
Much More than a Mosquito Bite
https://vimeo.com/63267428 Did you know that as of 2005, nearly a quarter of residents of the capital region of Guyana were at risk of suffering lymphatic filariasis, an illness that causes permanent swelling in body extremities? This painful condition is locally known as “Goadie” and “Big Foot,” but what causes it? Lymphatic filariasis is a disease classified as a Neglected … [Read more...] about Much More than a Mosquito Bite
Sustainable Development: Can money for forest conservation really work?
Money for forests, that’s essentially Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. And why not? Almost 80% of Guyana is covered in rainforest: suitable for timber extraction, post-harvest agriculture, and it has significant mineral deposits below its surface. The question for any administration in a developing country is “how to accelerate the development process to attain the … [Read more...] about Sustainable Development: Can money for forest conservation really work?