President urges Guyanese to honour ancestors by preserving legacy

Speaking at the Glory Light Tabernacle’s annual Sunrise Worship Breakfast in the East Coast village of Plaisance on Tuesday morning, President David Granger called on the pastor and congregation of the Glory Light Tabernacle to ensure that the community remembers their ancestors who made the village a reality while showing the present generation the heights that can be achieved with hard work and commitment.
Granger urged the gathering to lead the way to hold a prayer service for this village this year, the 175th anniversary and reminded the populace that the task of nation-building does not end with the 89,000 persons, who fought and won their liberation. “Nation-building is a continuous process. We have to carry on the work that they started but we have to evaluate our efforts,” the President posited.
While recognising that the freed slaves were poor and uneducated, the Head of State noted that they were rich in their understanding of their responsibility to maintain their families; the sole reason why they pooled their resources and started the Village Movement.
Within the first decade post-Emancipation, freed slaves purchased 15,000 acres of land at the value of $1 million, which they transformed into communities overtime; Plaisance which sits on approximately 300 acres of land, purchased by 65 persons in 1842.
“This nation’s ancestors purchased these villages. They helped to transform what was then a series of plantations into a nation… We have inherited a beautiful gift and I urge you to celebrate that gift. I urge you on this Emancipation Day to consider what would have been going through the minds of your ancestors 179 years ago when they gained their freedom. They saw their freedom as an instrument not to have fun, but as an instrument to make their children and grandchildren happy for eternity,” the President said.
Moreover, he told residents that the best way to pay homage to their ancestors would be by preserving the four pillars of a strong community, which was bestowed upon them by the people who endured the inhumane horror of slavery.
The annual event was well attended by members of the community in patriotically attired in colourful African prints, as a special tribute to the rich culture that was brought to Guyana by their predecessors. In attendance were Attorney General Basil Williams and Chairperson of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Genevieve Allen.