And a child shall lead them – Isaiah 11:6.
In this particular instance…two children.

A little over two months ago two sisters, aged 11 and nine, who reside at Barr Street, Albouystown wrote a letter to President David Granger seeking his help in accessing a reading room somewhere within their community.

The country’s leader responded by inviting the sisters Leanna McKenzie, Vaneicia Henry and their parents to his office. And because I know that Mr. Granger is an “Action Man” I am certain something tangible is being done.
“A Reading Room in Albouystown?” The suggestion seemed so incongruous to one of my friends that he cast an incredulous look in my direction.
He didn’t give me a chance to reply.
“Wait, wait man,” he demanded. “Wasn’t it you who wrote so expansively last week about the hopelessness of the south Georgetown ward and it being a simmering cauldron? Come on. Make up your mind.”
I didn’t have to delve too deeply to defend my doomsday prognosis. Over the weekend, President Granger had provided the simple yet profound answer when he visited the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC). The President hailed the outstanding work of the club and was emphatic that Guyana needed more dynamic and visionary clubs, like the one he was visiting, in every village and every county.

Many distinguished persons walked through the doors of the Y but its present state of disrepair turns the stomach. Sir Frank Worrell, the West Indies first appointed black captain; Sir Clyde Walcott, one of the three Ws who dominated West Indies cricket and later became head of the International Cricket Council; Sugar Ray Robinson, ex-world middleweight boxing champion; several Mayors, Police Chiefs and Fire Chiefs. Even a Governor paid a visit.

When I read what the President had said I rewound a tape in my head and there was the Albouystown YMCA in the glory days. I remember October 18, 1959 like yesterday – shaking hands with the illustrious Forbes Burnham who was then Mayor of Georgetown and handing him a piece of paper which said he was a Life Member. It was our 19th anniversary and more than 150 boys of every ethnic concoction and faith were celebrating with a Fellowship Tea under the direction of the charismatic youth leader Mr. Cedric Barrow
Yes my friends – Tea at the same Albouystown YMCA that was the “cradle of boxing” in Guyana and had produced so many world-renowned boxers. That YMCA was more than a sports club. It was a quiet revolution with socio-economic underpinnings, young men learning to become tailors, printers, basket-weavers, carpenters, et all. There was a piano, a self-service canteen and a reserved two-bench section dominated by a sign that said: Be quiet. This is the Reading Room.
Many distinguished persons walked through the doors of the Y but its present state of disrepair turns the stomach. Sir Frank Worrell, the West Indies first appointed black captain; Sir Clyde Walcott, one of the three Ws who dominated West Indies cricket and later became head of the International Cricket Council; Sugar Ray Robinson, ex-world middleweight boxing champion; several Mayors, Police Chiefs and Fire Chiefs. Even a Governor paid a visit.
The promise the President made to the two girls resonates with hope and expectations because it is at their ages that the magical world of character-building opens up. It is at these crossroads that choices are made which more often than not shape the direction one’s life would take in the ensuing years.
This is where parents must stamp their authority, overriding the penchant for the bling bling and hands and necks festooned with countless bangles and chains. The alternative is school books encapsulating a lifetime of choices.
Amidst the degradation and poverty there were those who rose above the fray. Some however feel that Albouystown is their world and they feel safe in the only jungle they know…not somewhere out there in unfamiliar territory. And books do not constitute part of their modus operandi.
The President’s charge will definitely trigger a revolution throughout the nation. And perhaps his promise to the two young ladies will open a cornucopia of opportunities for the not so fortunate.
Meanwhile the Mayor & City Council has removed the eyesore of the infamous Globe Yard in Waterloo Street. The next such demolition should be the Albouystown YMCA. Forget deconstruction, there are no valuable elements left to preserve. A two-storied concrete structure should be erected immediately to replace the dilapidated and abysmally grotesque structure, its rotten steps already claiming the life of one person.
The two girls living one block away can have their fill of reading and their presence will undoubtedly attract like-minded, ambitious youths. I predict that new brooms will sweep the decay away and that a spanking new entity will be quickly oversubscribed. Another one of President Granger’s dreams can soon be realized.
Youth leader Mr. Cedric Barrow’s philosophy remains unshakeable –“It is better to build boys (girls) now…than to mend men (women) later.”
A tidal wave starts with a ripple.
And out of chaos comes order. (Ordo Ab Chao)