No reason to celebrate Mashramani – Wales housewives

…say their children are starving, pots empty

By Shemuel Fanfair

Several housewives who supported their spouses at Wednesday’s protest against the year-long non-payment of severance, complained bitterly of their dwindling finances and indicated that they have no reason to celebrate Mashramani.
The Wales housewives told Guyana Times that they will not be participating in any celebration since they can barely maintain their households, as many of the men are unemployed and others are finding difficulty getting consistent work.

“We don’t have Mashramani because we don’t have money, so we cannot celebrate; we want we severance and then anything could happen,” one housewife shouted.
Other women, including a mother of five, Salima Bacchus, are demanding that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) honour its legal arrangements and pay off the former workers.
“We need we severance!” Bacchus exclaimed. Her husband, Asser, has not been working since 2016 and she has been on the protest line since then.
“Right now we children starving and then we must study Mashramani? We don’t have money since Wales Estate close, me husband not working so how you could get the money to celebrate Mashramani,” another housewife added.
Pensioners who also supported Wednesday’s protest indicated much dismay at the economic situation at Wales and on this basis noted that finances are not there for them to celebrate.

“Mashramani, you have to get nice clothes, footwear and you got to dance up but if you don’t have money you can’t do nothing,” Iris, only name given, observed.
Mashramani marks 48 years since Guyana became a Republic which meant that the country broke links from the British monarchy but for the housewives, there is no freedom given their current economic plight. Mother of five, Shada Narine, told Guyana Times that she too would be celebrating the holiday. Narine stressed that she has to rotate sending her children to school and she is calling on the Agriculture Minister and President Granger to look into her plight.
“I glad if the President and Mr Holder could come out and tell the cane cutters if they will get their severance or if they will find jobs for them. I think they have a heart and children and they should see the suffering of the cane cutter dem,” Narine remarked in a show of much frustration.
Mashramani will be celebrated on Friday.