Meet Michelle Kandasammy, Co-Founder of The Backpack Project, a non-profit initiative aimed at promoting health and education among Caribbean students between the ages of 5 to 18. This project, which was started in December 2008, assists students of impoverished families to pursue their educational goals. A born and bred Guyanese who wears Guyana’s flag and rich heritage proudly, Michelle attended two of the best schools in the country, Stella Maris Primary School and Queen’s College….
Meet Our Sheroes
Future Scientist, Stony Brook University Class of 2013 Majors: Chemistry; Chemical & Molecular Engineering UNCF-Merck Science Initiative 2012 Award Recipient Dara Bobb-Semple has many accomplishments at Stony Brook – from twice being recognized for achieving a 4.0 GPA, to receiving the MARC award in fall 2011, to being elected to Tau Beta Pi Honor Society (December 2011), to recently being named a recipient of a national award, the 2012 UNCF Merck Undergraduate Science Fellowship! But…
Guyanese Born Scientist, Dr. Deborah Persaud, who migrated when she was just 16 years old is leading the way with a breakthrough in HIV Treatment. Dr. Persaud who is attached to the John Hopkin’s Children Centre in the US led the investigation that determined that a baby born with HIV had been cured. Read the story below as reported by CBS News. “A baby born with the AIDS virus appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday, describing the…
Melissa Phillips is making her mark in the pageant world, and New York City as she works towards her life goals. Born to both a Guyanese mother and father in Brooklyn, NY the conditions of her environment shaped her perspective on the past and future. Understanding family traditions of honest work, principles of education and the necessity to remember humble beginnings, she worked to succeed in life. She attended St. Augustine’s Episcopal school, and…
Joyce Ferdinand-Lalljie was a child prodigy who began playing one of her mother’s piano pieces when she was three years old. She and her younger sister Mavis both became concert pianists and were known as the two Ferdinand girls. Joyce is accredited as being the first black woman, if not the first woman to play a full piano concerto. In his article on radio in British Guiana for the 1951 Chronicle Christmas Annual, Albert E…
I get it – breakups are difficult, painful and it’s very hard to control your emotions and thoughts after it. However, some folks spiral out of control causing them perform some crazy acts, ie. stalking, fighting, harassing or having a straight Angela Bassett “Waiting to Exhale” moment and burning everything in sight that belonged to their Ex. Confronting your problem would definitely not heal you, but at least it would get you into terms with…
Before there was American Idol, there was Pat Cameron, who as host of the influential radio show, `On Show Young Guyana,` helped give recognition to the musical abilities of many young Guyanese. Pat was born on October 3, 1924 to Lilian Gertrude Christiani and Henry Perot Christiani. A Bishop’s High School graduate, she worked in the Guyana Civil Service and was trained as a Social Welfare Officer in Jamaica. She entered the world of broadcasting…
Vesta Lowe (1907 -1992) was a multidimensional woman-teacher, singer, musician, folk song collector, and rural development professional. She was a pioneer in so many aspects of life. She was among the first batch of teachers to graduate from the Teachers’ Training College. She is considered to be the first Black woman to graduate from Tuskegee Institute with a B.Sc. (Honours) degree in Home Economics. Lynette Dolphin described Vesta Lowe as “the pioneer in the field…
Monica Chopperfield, aka Lady Guymine (1932-2009) was a Guyanese calypso and cultural phenomenon. Popularly known for her hit calypso “Granny Fit” (which you can watch her singing in the clip below), she was born on July 31, 1932, in Berbice, Guyana and would grow to become “an important 20th century calypsonian.” Her performing career started in a show produced by Zelda Martindale at the roofless Olympic Cinema on Lombard Street and she went on to…