– stories of courage, lessons of faith from Essequibo’s CBR Programme

By Ravena Gildharie
MAIMED by her husband 15 years ago, Marcel Ann Williams was thrust into living as an amputee, adjusting to life without the use of one of her hands. But from her story, shines

the essence of forgiveness, faith and never giving up to achieve one’s dream. She is currently a mother of four, a trained school teacher and an advocate for the differently-abled.

Back in 2002, Williams, a resident of Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, was unemployed and pursuing a tertiary course at a local institution. She was then 27 years old and a mother of two. One day, her husband returned from a social outing and the couple got into a heated argument that escalated and resulted in Williams losing her limb. She subsequently relocated to Georgetown as she struggled to adjust as a differently-abled person.
“It was very hard at first. It is not until you lose something that you have been accustomed to using, that you realise how important it was…But as they say, when ‘you don’t have mommy, you have to use granny,’ and that is what I had to do – learn how to do things for myself and my children with one hand,” Williams indicated during an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.

While in the city, she pursued a one-year certificate programme in Information Technology at the Open Doors Centre. She subsequently enrolled at the Critchlow Labour College and wrote five Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, four of which she secured with Grade Two passes. Not successful in English, she again sat the examination the following year and obtained a Grade One in 2006. Around that time, she returned to Essequibo and joined the Essequibo Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme (CBR).

Launched over a decade ago, the programme supports differently-abled members of society and their caregivers. It is based in Queenstown village and currently has about 30 members. Through the initiative, Williams teaches various skill-based courses to children during the school holidays.

“I always dreamed of becoming a teacher and when I came back to Essequibo, I applied for a teaching job in the region. Thankfully, in 2010, I got through and I’ve been teaching since then at the Charity Nursery. I attended CPCE during 2010 to 2012 and graduated as a trained teacher,” said Williams, proud of her achievements.
However, her success was not well received by some sections of society.

“When I got the teaching job, some people felt that someone was probably sorry for me and gave me the job. There was some resentment towards me. Some parents even went to the then Regional Chairman, Ali Baksh, to lodge a complaint, saying they asked for a teacher and they got a differently-abled person. But he told them there was no problem because I was qualified for the job,” Williams explained.
Now 43, Williams spends time sharing her story to support and motivate other differently-abled persons.

Support service for the differently-abled
Aside from skills-building, the CBR porgramme offers counselling and members participate in events such as awareness walks, interactive sessions, school campaigns and a community outreach service. Skills training courses include block-making, carpentry, tin smith, envelope-making and garment construction. They are now involved in a duck-rearing project. Members are between the ages of 20 and 65, and some of the differently-abled are amputees, visually-impaired, wheel-chair bound, speech impaired and those physically challenged after a stroke.

One member is a part of Guyana’s Blind Cricket Team, while several others are regular contenders in the annual domino competition sponsored through the National Sports Commission.
The CBR programme is now managed by Lloyd Griffith, a 53-year-old former headteacher who completely lost his vision to glaucoma in 2001; an impairment which forcefully ended his prestigious 36-year teaching career. He previously served at the Anna Regina Multilateral and Suddie Primary schools.

A resident of Johanna Cecelia, Griffith had supported the CBR programme since it was initiated in 1995. However, it was not until 2001 when he took up full-time membership while he was personally struggling to adjust to his disability.
“I was in charge of the Bartica Secondary School when I lost the sight in both of my eyes and I had to leave the job and return home to Essequibo. I was forewarned by the doctors, but when it happened I went into a mode of self-pity and withdrew with a lot of hostile emotions,” Griffith recalled.

Even while members of his family went beyond the measure to support and comfort him, Griffith said he was unreceptive until he later realised there was no use in being withdrawn.
“I began to realise then that I should not give up and that there is no need to behave that way, so with the support of my family, I started working to help myself deal with my disability,” he stated. Griffith is married and has four adult children and one grandchild.
“It is difficult when you become disabled, but I now like to do a lot of counselling and help others understand that there is still hope, and that there are things we can learn to do to help ourselves instead of begging or depending on anyone to provide for us,” the advocate said.

He noted that society is often skeptical of persons with disabilities, but “it is up to us to change that mindset of how we see ourselves and how society sees us, so that we can become more visible and can reintegrate with society.”

A Different-View Project
The Queenstown CBR Centre was renovated earlier this year through A Different-View Project, an Essequibo-based, non-profit organisation led by Queenstown-born Canadian student Menakshi Babulall. Her initiative is aimed at building infrastructure and providing social and educational programmes for children and other vulnerable groups in Essequibo.
Aside from an upgrade to the building, the CBR centre was furnished with a computer and printer for use by the community’s children and a mini library. A playground was also established with swings and slides. During the week, the project’s volunteers tutor the school-aged children on various subjects and assist them with homework and school-based assignments. The sessions are designed to help the children read and write, Babulall said, adding that there are interactive sessions as well to encourage public speaking and aid communication with their peers.

The young woman explained that while growing up, she longed for such recreational and educational spaces in the community, which she believes can help students deal with some of the problems they encounter, and enable them to become well-rounded individuals.
Babulall said she is hoping to secure the services of a professional counsellor to work with the differently-abled members at the CBR centre, but more so, to conduct home visits to those who do not visit the centre. She plans too to set up similar ventures in other areas.