Biology time

Mimosa Pudica  OR Shame bush plant.

What is the secret of the plant that close when touched?

When I was a kid playing with this little plant that closes its leaves when touched. I would often wonder why it happens. And couldn’t think of any answer?  Well, as animals, plants also respond to stimuli around them. They can be directed in accordance with light, gravity, temperature changes and chemical interference. But there are plants that respond literally to touch and "close" their leaves. These are call sensitive plants. This reaction is a way that they have to protect themselves. It is a natural defense that can occur in a very fast way in some species. The movement is called Seismonasty. ( plants reaction to being touched, or the movement of a plant in response to a shock, such as shaking, intense heat wind or rain.)

Sensitive plants generally have their blended compound leaves, ie the leaves are divided into smaller leaves that are called leaflets. At the base of each leaflet, there are specialized cells capable of losing water rapidly. The reaction occurs when the plant receives external stimuli such as a tone, for example.

Two chemicals present in the body of these plants are:- sodium and potassium – which process aid in directing the water into a free space between cells. This makes the leaves wither, or the leaves shrink. It's as if the base of the cells take the role of the elbow in our arm, changing the position of the leaves according to the reaction of the stimuli.  Carnivorous plants such as Dionaea muscipula also has this movement.

However, one of the best known and most sensitive plant is the Mimosa pudica/ or ( shame bush), but the sensitivity and movement of the leaves also occur in other species within the family of peas or in other such as  Biophytum and Oxalidaceae.

Medino Abraham

A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” 
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” 
― Maya Angelou

“That perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library.” 
― Aphra Behn, The Lucky Chance, Or, the Alderman's Bargain

“Libraries raised me.” 
― Ray Bradbury

Medino Abraham

Quality Education for Indigenous Peoples

The enjoyment of the right to education is not fully realized for most indigenous peoples. The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples says that without access to quality education indigenous communities will not be able to fully enjoy their rights. The Expert Mechanism is a group of five independent specialists who provide expertise on the rights of indigenous peoples to the Human Rights Council.

In their report to the Council on the right of indigenous peoples to education the experts say, “Deprivation of access to quality education is a major factor contributing to social marginalization, poverty and dispossession of indigenous peoples”.

The report makes the case that designing education programs for indigenous communities must take into account many factors that acknowledge the special needs of these communities. Indigenous students cannot be forced into mainstream education systems which do not integrate indigenous culture, it says.
An approach using a single model is inappropriate because of the diversity of indigenous peoples.

Promoting “indigenous perspectives, innovations and practices in an environment that replicates traditional ways of learning” is another interest of the Expert Mechanism. This includes having mother-tongue based bilingual and multilingual education at the primary as well as at higher levels. Indigenous languages should be integrated into the teaching programs. The report proposes that community members be trained as language teachers and the development of indigenous literacy material.

The report identifies gender issues as a common impediment to education for both boys and girls in indigenous communities. In fact, girls are regularly prevented from attending school. The report found that “families often prefer girls to remain at home to perform domestic chores and care for children and siblings”. When put together with other discrimination issues, this has serious social consequences for the indigenous communities.

The Expert Mechanism says that indigenous peoples have the “right to educational autonomy” including “the right to decide their own educational priorities […] as well as the right to establish and control their own educational systems and institutions, if they so choose”.

The report recommends too that human rights education be included in schools to encourage cooperation between the different cultures. The Expert Mechanism advises that “learning about human rights is the first step towards respecting, promoting and defending the rights of all individuals and peoples.” For this to happen, States must ensure funding for appropriate teaching materials and the recruitment of indigenous teachers. Education is identified by the report as “one of the best long-term financial investments that States can make.” This year on December 10, celebrate Human Rights Day by joining together to celebrate diversity and end discrimination.

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/QualityEducationForIndigenousPeoples.aspx

Lives are crying, because it's not clean,

Earth is dying, because it's not green…

Earth is our dear Mother, don't pollute it,

She gives us food and shelter, just salute it…

With Global Warming, it's in danger,

Let's save it by becoming a strong ranger…

With dying trees and animals, it's in sorrow,

Make green today and green tomorrow…

With Melting snow, one day it will sink,

How can we save it, just think…

Tree is precious, preserve it,

Water is a treasure, reserve it…

Grow more trees, make Mother Earth green,

Reduce pollution and make her a Queen… 

M.A

Catholics & Amerindians celebrate - Oct 6, 2013

Villagers from Aishalton walk from their church to the benab for Mass on September 22, some dressed in their traditional wear.

On September 22, the Catholic community of Aishalton in the South Rupununi of Guyana celebrated two events, one being the feast of the parish saint, St Robert Bellarmine, after whom the Aishalton church is named. Although the feast day was on September 17, it was carried forward and combined with the Catholic Church’s celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month with the community. These activities are aimed at promoting and preserving the country’s indigenous people’s culture and this year’s theme was “Embracing our culture and advancing our future”. 

The day’s events began with a procession from the church to the benab (thatched hut) located on the church compound for the celebration of Mass in the Wapishana language. Parish priest Fr Varghese SJ was the chief celebrant, and most of the villagers were clad in their traditional outfits. Besides the gospel being proclaimed and the homily being preached in Wapishana, there were also dances performed to accompany the songs of praise and worship, and offerings. There were also other rituals which were performed, like the burning of incense in the benab at the beginning of the Mass for the purification of the environment.

After the Mass, there was a cultural programme organised by the parishioners, at which there was a lot of local food and drinks, contributed generously by the villagers.

The evangelical Christian churches were also present, with their youth doing some traditional dances and spicing things up with gospel music in Wapishana.

The celebration had a fraternal and community spirit and everyone enjoyed themselves while commemorating the feast of St Robert Bellarmine and celebrating the heritage of the Amerindian people.

– Adapted from a story in the Catholic Standard by the Jesuits of the Rupununi and Pakaraimas Mission

CATHOLIC ECOLOGY

In our country it is easy to blame the government for the unwanted filth that greets every concerned person, but the dilemma is due to the total disregard for the environment by the citizens of this beloved nation. The garbage problem is not only the responsibility of the government, but is also caused by the citizens who take no pride in how the cities and waterways across the country look. 

The other is the mess we are making in Guyana at present in destroying the forest and polluting the rivers and similar practices. We turn a blind eye to the environmental impacts caused by these acts.

 Christians must recognize that we are not the all-powerful masters of the laws of nature. We are creatures, part of the created world which our country is a part of, and we cannot treat the environment as if it is our property to use however we like.  

We are reminded that the basis of Catholic concern over the care for the environment is in Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that it holds.” In response to the wonderful gift that God has given us of clean air, life- sustaining water, fruits from the land’s harvests and even nourishment from the sea, we are called to not only honor God for these many blessings but to also do so by honoring his creation.

It is because we value our relationship with God and God’s creation that we must show a concern for the ecosystem profoundly from a spiritual, ethical, and moral aspect. The care for the environment is our responsibility as God’s children and people of faith to care for each other and future generations by caring for all of God’s wondrous creation.

 In the Bible we are called to love God, and care for each other and all of God’s creation. If we improperly or disproportionately use the fruit of God’s earth, we not only dishonor him but also we ultimately endanger the livelihood of our poor and marginalized siblings who most depend on God’s creation.

 Pope Francis pushes the boundaries for us today to reconsider and broaden our under- standing of the gospel, questioned: Who is my neighbor? Because for him the concept of "neighbor" included, not only the human race, but the whole of creation.  

As such the Pope challenges ‘Christians’ to treat the environment, with love and care in order to respect God’s creation. With the Holy Father’s words of hope we can strive to promote an ‘ecological church’ which hopefully can help our beautiful Guyana and its people to live in harmony and have respect for the environment  where we can pray with the birds and animals our best friends, as Saint Francis did. Thus, as a church in Guyana, let us pray for it to become more active in sensitizing the faithful in seeing creation as our neighbor, and not for exploiting it for selfish benefits, but use our instincts to know that it’s God’s sacred gift to us, and that we should to take care of it!

Medino Abraham

Mathematics workshop held in Aishalton for primary school teachers of South Rupununi

On Saturday the 7^th of June 2014 a workshop on Mathematics was held with the primary school teachers from Aishalton, Awarwanao and Kraraudanao at the primary school in Aishalton. The program was conducted by Sister Mary Peter O.S.U along with Medino Abraham. There were 18 teachers who attended the workshop, most of whom are trained while a few are still in training. The majority of the educators were from the host village Aishalton, and the others from the neighboring communities in the South Rupununi.

The math session commenced at 8:30 am and ended at 2.pm on Saturday. During the morning lectures on mathematics Sister Mary Peter taught innovative pedagogical methods to the educators, for them to teach the students in the primary schools. The methods were in the form of games for children to help them develop an appreciation and love for math from a young age by using concrete objects with the young children.

In the afternoon as a supplement for the theory and practice with the maths games held with the teachers in the morning session, Sister Mary Peter showed the educators a short video about the maths games she spoke of, which was developed by her in collaboration with the Catholic Media Initiatives in Georgetown. At the end of the workshop each school was given a copy of the short video to take back to learn some ideas, and try it in their respective schools.

This initiative from the Catholic Church to help teach math in the schools in region 9, began about 3 years ago when the nun volunteered to assist being a ‘math genius’ from the local church in Guyana. From reality and being in the teaching profession for most of her life, Sister Mary Peter and others had realized that it would be good to work with the local teachers from the primary schools in the Rupununi to support them in having workshops, to learn new and innovative methods to teach math at primary schools, so that the young students at that level can have a solid foundation and be prepared to be ‘capable’ in performing well in math when they enter secondary school.

The nun usually spends two weeks in the Rupununi helping out in keeping workshops on Mathematics for the teachers on weekends. And during the week-days she volunteers to teach math in the Secondary Schools in the Region. She normally helps out at Annai, St. Ignatius, Sand Creek and Aishalton Secondary Schools and Karasabai Primary.

Sister Mary Peter is a remarkable person. For her age she is going strong and has a great spirit and energy to give her time to do generous work in the area of maths for the schools in region 9. The work she is doing is very inspiring for other young people and especially for young Guyanese religious or lay person who has that ‘generous spirit of service from the heart,’ to serve the people in Guyana where ever the need is great.

 Kudos to you Sister, for the great service you are doing in contributing in the area of education in the Lord’s vineyard here in Guyana.

 Our country needs more persons like you. 

God Bless!

Teachers of the South Rupununi