The recently elected Democratic Labour Party administration in Barbados welcomes Guyanese and remains committed to ensuring their rights and freedoms in the island are protected.

In his remarks at the Guyana Consulate-organised “Picnic/Fun Day” last Sunday to mark Guyana’s Independence anniversary date, Foreign Affairs Minister Chris Sinckler noted: ” This is commitment which the government will continue to provide to those of you from Guyana or any other Caribbean country who come here.

We remain committed to ensuring that you have a positive and productive stay here…however long that may be.” The Barbadian Minister also said that Guyanese and other regional visitors must be treated “equally well” as those from outside the region.

Also making brief remarks was Denis Kellman, a government Member of Parliament who is also the island’s Ambassador to CARICOM.

Meanwhile, in his address, Guyana Honorary Consul Norman Faria reminded what the island’s CBC-TV station described as “a large gathering” that Guyanese nationals on contract (work permits) working on Barbadian farms or leasing tracts of land in the island are making a positive impact on the island’s food import situation.

Faria also urged his country men and women here to deepen their traditional community spirit and work even closely with Barbadians to make the island a better place for all.

“Guyanese nationals in Barbados continue to contribute immensely to the island’s development. Guyanese (contract) labour in agriculture here have meant for example the growing of more local food thereby impacting positively on Barbados’s food import bill situation”, said the Consul.

In an interview afterwards, Faria said he had visited several small farms across the island with Guyanese working on them either as hired help or as small farmers themselves, leasing the land and working it for the Barbadian owner. “I am impressed by what I saw. A significant amount of the agricultural produce you see in the markets in Bridgetown are grown and harvested by Guyanese, sometimes working long hours. And this has nothing to do with taking jobs from Bajans, ” he said.

But Faria urged his countrymen and women in the island, both those on work permits and long term residents, to take time out and rekindle the “volunteerist” spirit.

“It shouldn’t be all work. We must not always ask: what’s in it for me ? We must deepen our spirit of volunteerism and our traditional willingness we have brought from Guyana to join even more with, integrate with and work with Barbadian community organisations such as credit unions, churches, sports clubs and trade unions. We must remember our roots and redouble our efforts to give to Barbadian society and by extension to Guyana. As in Guyana, we must join with others to defend the noble and good democratic gains of the Barbadian people and build up

Barbados and Guyana even more,” he said.
The Guyanese Consul in addressing the Consulate-organised picnic, also referred to an increase in marriages between Guyanese and Barbadians including those among different races.

“I am getting more and more inquiries at the Consulate from both Guyanese and Bajans about the practicals of marriage but have of course to refer them to the (Barbados) Registry. Some have even asked me if I (as Consul) am permitted to marry them. There are more of these unions, in relative terms, compared to say two decades ago. And these include people of different races, a wonderful thing which I am so happy to see and which all bodes well for the future.” he said.

The Consulate this year honoured four Guyanese “unsung heroes” for contributions to Guyana-Barbados relations. These were Sandra Farnum (an industrial cleaner), Hansah “Savo” Chintambi-Holder (a processor in a chicken plant), Fenton “Kenny” Osborne (a small farmer) and Cholena Bagot (a midwife at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital). A Bajan, Lawrence ‘Carl” Forde, of the Benevolent Committee of the Barbados Legion, was also given a Consulate award.

Guyanese food was on sale, made by Jenny Gajadhar, and entertainment was provided by Guyanese organist Lawrence Evelyn, Barbadian calypsonian Mighty Gabby and other Guyanese and Barbadian artistes.