BORN and raised in Aishalton, in the Rupununi community, Leah Casimero is a person who believes that more can be done to preserve the Amerindian culture, and maintain their language, especially the Wapishana language.
Casimero expressed the need to preserve the indigenous language of the Wapishana People, so that the younger generation will have a greater appreciation for their dialect, culture, and ethnicity.
The Wapishana are an indigenous tribe found in the southern parts of Guyana, and in parts of northern Brazil.
The Pepperpot Magazine spoke with Leah Casimero about her life, and her involvement in ensuring that the language of the Wapishana is preserved. She shared that she is part of a programme that aims to achieve this goal.
“So, the name of the programme is the Organisational Bilingual Education Programme, and it is a cultural bilingual programme for Wapishana children. The programme stems from two main reasons: Our language is on the decline, and the academic performances have been consistently low, both at the CSEC examination, as well as the National Grade Six Assessment levels,” Casimero said.
While recognising that there is a particular way in which the Amerindians preserve and maintain certain traditional practices of the Wapishana tribe, Casimero shares the view that these traditions and practices should be maintained with accuracy and precision.
In an effort to improve the performances of children of the Wapishana tribe, Casimero and others came up with practical solutions which would ultimately bring real results in the overall performances of learners on the whole.
“They came up with this idea to have bilingual education. In the beginning, they were actually thinking of starting with the mother-tongue first, and then going into English transition slowly, but children coming to school on different scales. Of course, these are children in the south Rupununi coming speaking Wapishana already, but if an agreement is to be reached, there must be a compromise,” Casimero concluded during her interview.
She noted that, for example, in Aishalton, there are more children who speak more English than Wapishana. The programme is designed for the comfort of the people who live in these communities.
According to Casimero, the bilingual educational programme was really designed to bring respect to the culture of the Wapishana People, and maintain their language, traditional practices, and culture.
Casimero, like any person who loves, appreciates, and cherishes their community and its people, saw the need to give back to her community, after studying and completing her university education to ensure the Wapichan language is being preserved.
“This is an opportunity for me to give back to the community; it’s a dream come true, and I grab it with both hands. The opportunity to transform the next generation is certainly welcomed,” Casimero shared with the Pepperpot Magazine.
Casimero recalled that after completing her secondary school education, there was no one to give career guidance. She is now advocating the transition from post-secondary school to the world of career and work is key in a young person’s life from someone who has walked the road.
Nevertheless, Casimero is proud of her achievements, since she is now integral to transforming pupils’ lives, even from a nursery school age, especially after overcoming the hurdles of resources needed to make the transformation.
“You need to equip yourself with the modern world. I very much need to be in touch with the skills that I have acquired over the years; as much as possible try to find the connections and self-worth,” Casimero said.
