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.