So- was it all worthwhile? 6

I have been to places so beautiful they are breath taking.

The creek at Pandama Retreat-
I took the picture before slipping into the black water creek for an early morning bathe.

My flat- the back steps- view from the balcony.

Orchids growing in the garden.

The kiskadee- a regular in the garden.

Hummingbird- also spotted in my garden.

So- was it all worthwhile?

Karen and I seem to think so.

So- was it all worthwhile? 5

So- was it all worthwhile? 4

Every school has a snackette- staffed by women who stay the whole day.

Although both the head and the heart knows that the country's mission- One people, one nation, one destiny- is the way forward for peace and prosperity, sometimes the heart takes over and as an outsider I was sometimes made aware of differences in race, religion, culture and political affiliations.

When you leave one place, leaving everything behind, in fact you take yourself with you.

And so, the 11 months have included learning about myself.

There have been times of aching loneliness and a sense of sorrow, akin to the sheer grief of bereavement. I have missed my children, my sister and brother, my family and close friends.

My diary records "tired" days- when the effort of combating heat and humidity, or when the pressures of travel, mosquito bites, applying diplomacy, learning to negotiate procedures have all become too much- and retiring to a hammock is the only option.

VSO volunteer Monika- enjoying hammock time.

The bus park- weave through the crowds, find your bus number:- there will be several going to your destination and each driver will try and woo you onto his bus!

Aside from the tired days, and the occasional necessary unpicking of errors, the experience has been one of sharing problems, of being creative, of taking initiative, of learning to say less and listen more.

Across my work colleagues and the VSO and other volunteers I have encountered an impressive array of skills and experiences.

Three volunteers- from the USA, Kenya and the UK work with the Guyana National SEN coordinator.

There has been a lot of fun.

So- was it all worthwhile? 3

The Persons with Disability Act 2010 gave the framework of legal rights for persons registered disabled, for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and of campaigners.In Guyana's capital, Georgetown, I perceived the growing awareness of SEN and rights for persons with disability. This public understanding diminished and so, correspondingly, did the numbers of children with SEN in schools, moving away from Georgetown, further along the coastal fringe and into the interior. In the far southern Region 9, the Rupununi, there were no children with hearing or visual impairments or mobility problems recorded attending schools. Only the "invisible" disabilities, such as learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders were present.

National Commission on Disability campaigner, Miss Tiffany- here with VSO volunteer Drew.

The energy and enthusiasm of campaigners for rights would make anyone feel optimistic for the future of SEN and persons with disabilities.

From all this I developed a respect for teachers and their fellow workers I met with in Guyana. Over riding the almost universal issue of low pay, and minimal resourcing, their dedication to their pupils is inspiring.

Beyond education, what makes Guyana tick? As with any country, there are contradictions, features to love and some to question.
The main economic earners continue to be sugar and rice cultivation, the mining and quarrying of gold, diamonds, bauxite and other minerals. The country's huge timber resources are harvested, but with government and international environmental controls.
Information sources suggest that with its porous, largely uninhabited borders, Guyana is a conduit for trafficking drugs and humans.
The service sector is the biggest employer, but as with may other economies, unemployment and under-employment plague lives.
Some 11% of children and young people live in orphanages, homeless shelters and the like.
Religious observation- Christianity, Hindu, Muslim and Baha'i are the majority faiths-is regularly practiced most people. Churches and temples are well attended and looked after. There are 15 public holidays per year, relating to religious festivals or independence celebrations.
Paradoxically, violent and abusive behaviours, roundly condemned by campaigners such as the Help and Shelter charity, abound, implicitly supported by a continued legal use of corporal punishment in schools and the home.

If ► 3:27► 3:27

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgmo-muxXq4 Follow the above link to hear the most popular song on radio stations when I arrived in Guyana. Many people have to take two jobs- this includes teachers with a family to support. CDs and DVDs are sold from street carts. There are no copyright laws in Guyana. While there, I never saw an original CD or DVD for sale.

So- was it all worthwhile? 2

For a number of understandable reasons Guyana continues to lose its citizens each year as people emigrate chiefly to the USA, Canada and the UK. An estimated 90% of graduates from the University of Guyana leave the country within 5 years of graduating.

However, within teaching, many stay, and as in the UK, become loyal to their school and the community they serve.

Miss Debra- has served at Sophia Special School for the last 17 years, as teacher and now head teacher

Miss Renate- acting head teacher at Diamond Special School- not applying for permanent post as wants to stay in the classroom. Seen here sharing a game of dominoes with 12 young pupils.

Miss Shellon runs the Low Vision unit at Wismar, Linden, and spends 2 days a week at Wismar Hill High supporting older pupils.

Specialist staff for hearing and visual impairment remain in short supply. The SEN unit does its best to encourage and develop training resources, working alongside charitable organisations such as Deaf in Guyana, the Guyana Deaf Mission and the Guyana Association for the Blind.

Support for Sign Language training- Parveen and Monty.

Roy supports the Braille teaching programme-  the Jaws software enables computer use.

The National Special Needs Coordinator, herself a registered disabled person, has an untiring commitment to the advancement of SEN provision in Guyana.

Miss Karen- taking time out in a fruit garden, while on  an educational tour of the Rupununi.

So- was it all worthwhile?

After spending 11 months away from home, as a volunteer Special Education teacher trainer and SEN adviser, taking part in a country's development programme, receiving a subsistence stipend, the question has to be asked: was it all worthwhile?

I can count 20 teachers, working in Guyana's special schools and units, now trained up as a team of classroom SEN teachers who can train other teachers in good SEN practices.

Bread making- always a winner. Trainee teacher Jamilla with students from  St Barnabas.

Sir Thakur, retired mainstream teacher, learns SEN active learning strategies- using soda bottle lids

Miss Saskia- introducing a visual timetable- with class participation through singing and actions

Having credibility was important for me. In my career, I have spent hours and days in training sessions of varying use, ranging from excellent,eminently useful, thought provoking and challenging to down right in-credible,  internally wondering when the trainer or the inspiration behind the training (be it government or education expert) was last in an ordinary classroom in front of ordinary children.
Therefore once training needs were identified, my principle training method was to turn up in the classroom, with locally prepared resources, "Do it", and afterwards analyse the planning, preparation and execution.
The secondary option was to conduct a mock lesson, with the teachers acting as pupils, with feedback and discussions.

Model lesson- at Wismar Hill Low Vision unit. A learning curve for me too.

Training teachers and rehabilitation staff to use Motor Skills for  Occupational Therapy  practice and to develop essential pre-literacy and pre- numeracy skills.

Work 2

Students on teaching practice from the Cyril Potter College of Education- observing  a lesson
Since the Persons with Disability Act 2010 was passed, all teacher training students undergo an element of training in SEN.

Team teaching- pupils with complex needs- pupils with complex needs and severe physical disability in a round Georgetown have access to education at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre. This is also a residential facility.

Meeting with parents- at a unit for visual impairment, Wismar Hill, Linden.

Training counsellors  from ChildLink.Inc, working with pupils who have experienced violence- on identifying hidden disabilities.

Training workshop for headteachers of SEN schools- at the National  Centre for Education Resource Development 

After the working day- with some teachers at Sophia Special Schools- coordination of colours a  happy coincidence!

Work

HIV and AIDS awareness training-demonstrating teaching and learning skills.

Demonstration lesson with lots of active learning

I came to Guyana in August 2011, for one year, on a placement to develop the skills and practices of teachers working in Special Educational Needs (SEN).

As one third of Guyana's population live in the capital, and 90% live along the coastal strip of reclaimed plantation lands, I have focused my attention here.
The 10 Ministry backed SEN schools are in and around Georgetown. From these schools I have worked with about 20 teachers, developing their skills and building on their commitment and enthusiasm to create a team of classroom practitioners who can train up and pass on their skills and ideas to other teachers in SEN.

Supporting a class teacher as she gives a demonstration lesson to a colleague.