DURING the past week, I was named an awardee of the prestigious 25 Influential Women Award Class of 2022. This award seeks to “honour women for their professional accomplishments, community service, leadership qualities and outstanding success – all achieved in service to building a greater Guyana. It further honours women whose achievements have significantly impacted an industry, profession, country, and who have also made an important contribution to their community”. This is the only award of its kind in Guyana. I’m elated and grateful, to say the least, to be recognised for the work that I do. Being the writer that I am, it only feels right to use this as an opportunity to highlight a key topic that I think needs to be brought to the forefront for fruitful discussions. Recognition. That’s it, that’s the topic.

The concept of recognising people for their great work should always be an important gesture that should be adopted throughout our culture. We should always recognise people for their great work, their commitments, their success, their strengths, their future aspirations and their potential. I am sharing why it’s important to recognise people and their contributions because I want you to understand what receiving this award has done for me over the course of the week. I’ve been battling personal family emergencies, I’ve had doubts about myself and the work I’m currently involved in, and I’ve also felt a bit stuck. While I’m confident in myself and my abilities to persevere—this past month just simply had lots of mental and emotional challenges for me. After receiving the news that I would be awarded this coveted and esteemed award, it took some time to “sink in”. However, once it did, I felt a warm sense of gratitude and appreciation. I think the most important thing of all was feeling a sense of motivation to continue the work I do and to even work harder in the various fields I’m currently in.

It feels good to be heard. It feels good to be acknowledged. It feels good to be recognised and appreciated. I’m aware that there are many award ceremonies, and I must applaud the efforts of the teams behind the various awards at the national and community levels. It is quite commendable to see teams like the 25 Influential Women Awards to go above and beyond for Guyanese to gain the recognition they deserve in their various fields of work. On that note, I do understand that not every institution or industry may have the resources or capacity to annually award persons of interest. However, awards may not always come in the form of a prize or trophy. It can also come through a social media post of appreciation, a few words of encouragement or even a hug. Either way, we should always try to positively motivate and empower people no matter how big or small their contribution is to their community and country at large.

Just as my recent award motivated me, especially in one of the most difficult mental periods of my life, I am certain that similar gestures like these can do the same for others. Positive rewards and reinforcement foster further growth and allow one’s self to be reminded that hard work and dedication are important and acknowledged. It allows them to feel accomplished and to celebrate, even if it’s just for a day or a few minutes. I urge all places of employment, organisations, and even government offices to realise the importance of giving recognition. We should not only recognise people for what they’ve accomplished but also for their potential; we can also celebrate what they are capable of achieving. With that said, I am now hopeful that readers who are in positions to recognise and acknowledge persons of interest see the importance of uplifting others for their hard work. I hope to see many more award ceremonies, thanksgiving and prize-giving ceremonies in Guyana’s near future. It is needed now more than ever.