Good Vibes in Week 5

How is it possible that we have been here for five weeks? Our fifth week in Guyana was very eventful, and certainly one to remember. Most of us taught lessons involving contraceptives, which include a demonstration of how to put a condom on a plantain, in our case. No matter the age of the class or the time of the day, there always seemed to be smiles and giggles coming from the students, and a couple of laughs from us as well! Even though it is a bit of a sillier lesson, the students seemed to really engage and remember all of the steps of how to properly use contraceptives.

Our life outside of the classroom was quite exciting this week. Ravi (the owner of the bar below us) taught us how to make fried plantains, a popular side dish in Guyana. Not only were they so delicious, but he gave us about 5 pounds of them, so we were eating plantains all night! On another night, he taught us how to make two types of cake. One was similar to a vanilla cake back home, and the other was made of cornmeal and fresh coconut milk! For our first time baking, and with no measuring cups, we like to think we did a pretty good job!

On Friday evening, all 6 of us got to teach our second lesson to the young men at the Guysuco Training College. Although we thought that teaching contraceptives to 13-year-olds was funny, teaching the same lesson to 20-year-olds was hilarious. Surprisingly, they seemed to enjoy the lesson the most! We coupled the contraceptive talk with a lesson about abuse and consent, and we are thankful that we were able to cover a broad spectrum of topics in only two visits to Guysuco.

Saturday morning was very happy, as our friends from Georgetown came for a visit to Berbice! We showed them the market, and then all 10 of us, along with our friends from the Youth Space made the trek to the Letter Kenny beach. After a full day of laughing, swimming, and spending time in the hot sun, we were all pretty exhausted Saturday night. We introduced the Georgetown gang to our favourite meal, pumpkin curry and roti, and they enjoyed it just as much as we do! On Sunday morning, we had an especially early start, as we wanted to see the sunrise. We threw our hoodies on and were out the door by 5 AM. The sunrise was breathtaking, and even though we have been here for five weeks, we often forget to stop and realize how stunning Guyana really is.

The rest of our Sunday consisted of a visit to the Letter Kenny Mandir with our friends, some much needed naps, and a plethora of games and charades as a group.

Although it was sad to say goodbye to our friends, we know that we will be seeing them in two short weeks!

Until next time,

The Berbice Family <3

Week 6 in Georgetown

This week was a very important week. We focused our classroom discussions on suicide, self harm and depression, which are very difficult topics to talk about. We were very impressed with the discussions that we were able to have in the classroom; many students opened up about their own stories which was very brave. Every class was receptive about the topic which was great to see.

Not only are these discussions important to have here in Guyana, but they are necessary globally. Every 40 seconds, someone in the world dies by suicide. With everything that has happened in the media recently, we want to emphasize the importance of reaching out to someone for support and care.

In the classroom, we discuss warning signs of someone who might be having thoughts of suicide. Often when someone is having thoughts of suicide, they may try to tie up loose ends of their lives by withdrawing from friends and family and saying definite goodbyes to their loved ones. If we notice someone in our lives that is displaying some of these signs, we can't be afraid to ask them directly if they are having thoughts of suicide.

If someone is having thoughts of suicide, it takes a tremendous amount of strength for them to reach out to someone. If someone reaches out to us, it is so important that we don't judge them and validate their feelings. Telling that person that they aren't alone is one of the best things that someone can say.

Not everyone who is having thoughts of suicide displays warning signs; therefore it is crucial that we incorporate discussions about mental health in our daily lives.

If anyone that we know is struggling, it is so important to talk to someone that we trust and who cares about us. If someone is not ready to talk to someone they know, there are many different helplines with people that are trained to listen and support us.

In Guyana:

Suicide Helpline: 223-0001

In Canada:

Suicide Helpline: 1-833-456-4566

Let's start and continue these conversations.

Always,

Tara, Gwen, Britney, and Hannah 💙

Week 4!

We are over halfway through initiative… how crazy is that? Time is flying by in Berbice, and we wish it would slow down because teaching is only getting better and better! Week four was a much tougher week than expected, as we taught depression, suicide and self-harm lessons in most of our classes. These crucial topics are usually not part of the curriculum in Guyana, which is why QHO works so well as a needs-based peer to peer education organization. Although it’s difficult to talk about, we are thankful that we can start conversations among the students, and help to decrease the stigma surrounding depression and suicide.

On Friday, we took part in an event that was held by the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport. This department works with youth all throughout Guyana to facilitate workshops and programs outside of the classroom that address similar topics to those that QHO teaches. We approached six different schools to ask them to select 20 students to take part in this event. The morning started with speeches from members of the community, followed by workshops led by QHO, the police department, and members of the Ministry. We discussed topics such as substance abuse, addiction, depression, mental health and suicide. After lunch, we walked with the participating students to Port Mourant Market, where we painted positive messages about abstaining from drugs and alcohol, as well as messages to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and suicide. The students really enjoyed painting, as did we!

After a tough week of teaching, we had a well-deserved restful Saturday. We went to the market to stock up on produce, and then spent the rest of the day reading, journaling, playing cards, and just hanging around. On Sunday, we went with our friends to the Letter Kenny Mandir. Although few people in Guyana speak Hindi, and we were unable to understand what was being said, it was a beautiful service. Afterwards, our friend Eric invited us to his home to try seven curry, a traditional dish in Guyana. Unlike normal curries, this one is eaten out of a water lily leaf, usually with your hands! (We may or may not have resorted to plastic spoons though!).

From the students in the classroom to our friends we have met at the Letter Kenny Youth Space, this community has welcomed us to Guyana with open arms. We cannot explain how grateful and blessed we all feel everyday.

Until next time,

The Berbice Fam

Week 5: Feelin Alive!

Hi fellow blog fanatics!

This week was a busy and wild time! We focused mainly on Healthy Relationships and Abuse in the classrooms. We were very impressed with the students' thoughtful questions and bravery to participate in some difficult discussions.

On Wednesday we enjoyed our first official class with the Gifted Hands Learning Centre for Special Needs Students where we helped in playing interactive number games and spelling with the students.

We were also invited by the Titian’s Table Tennis Club, located at the Red Cross, to facilitate discussions at the start of their practices. On Wednesday we started with a discussion on Mental Health and were welcomed with a great energy from the kids! We are looking forward to continuing the collaboration over the next few weeks.

This week on NTN we talked about Healthy Relationships, Self Esteem and Abuse. We got to meet the director of the Network who was very generous to give us fresh mangoes from the tree outside of the station as a thank you!

Friday was a very exciting day as we joined the Adult Education Association at the Health Expo in town. We were amazed by all the resources that the expo offered to the students from free blood testing, dental cleaning, eye exams, vaccinations to informational resources on all things health. The booths all had many educational games to keep the kids engaged an interested in the topics.

On Saturday morning we drove to see our fellow Peer Educators in Berbice! We were greeted with open arms and were involved in many different activities throughout the weekend. On Saturday we went to the market, the beach, and the youth space in the community. We were happy to meet some of the friends that they have made in the community. On Sunday we woke up early to see the sunrise and were invited to a Mandir for their Sunday prayer. We were very lucky to be welcomed into another culture and we learned a lot! At the end of the weekend we were sad to say goodbye to the other PEs and we wish them well for their last 2 weeks of teaching.

Peace and love,

Britney, Gwen, Hannah and Tara 😊