Journey through the Generations

In 1995, two young Indigenous sisters, Bertina Domingo (13) and Bernadette Domingo (9), survived an astonishing 31 days lost in the Guyanese rainforest after being taken away by their uncle, Anselmo Henry, who failed to bring them to their family farm as instructed.

The uncle transported the girls far up the Essequibo River and eventually led them deep into unfamiliar jungle terrain. During the journey, he became seriously ill, reportedly developing a severe condition that covered his body with worms, and later died. Left alone, the girls were forced to survive in one of the world’s most challenging environments.

Using remarkable ingenuity, they:

* Walked more than 200 miles through virgin rainforest.
* Caught fish using burning “fire sticks” made from haiwa tree gum and a cutlass.
* Slept in a hammock suspended in trees.
* Protected themselves from dangers such as jaguars and snakes.
* Kept a piece of wood burning continuously after their matches became wet from rain.

One of their most terrifying experiences occurred when they realized a jaguar was stalking them. They climbed into a tree to escape, and although Bernadette fell when a branch broke, she managed to climb back up before the animal returned.

After more than a month in the wilderness, the sisters finally reached the vicinity of a miners’ camp. Bertina called out for help, and the miners rescued them, fed them, and transported them to Kwakwani and eventually to a hospital in Georgetown.

Their extraordinary survival story gained national and international attention. The sisters were reunited with their family and later received Guyana’s Medal of Service in recognition of their courage and resilience.

From the villages of Guyana to communities across North America, our history is filled with stories of faith, sacrifice, migration, perseverance, and achievement. Many of these stories live only in the memories of our elders—and if we do not preserve them, they may be lost forever.

Join us at Nur Ul Islam in Cooper City (South Florida’s first Guyanese majority Masjid) for a one-of-a-kind Guyanese heritage exhibition featuring historical displays, family photographs, oral histories, cultural artifacts, community milestones, and much more.

Whether you were born in Guyana, are raising the next generation abroad, or simply want to learn more about our community’s rich history, this event is for you.

Come reconnect with your roots, celebrate your heritage, and help ensure that our story continues for generations to come.

📍 RSVP Required before October 10.
🌎 All are welcome
💲If you’re interested in donating to help offset costs, please contact the number on the flyer or email us [email protected]

“To know where we are going, we must first remember where we came from.”

Guyana

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In the early afternoon hours of May 13th, 2026, Sarah Shafi peacefully transitioned from our world into the hereafter. She departed serenely, surrounded by loved ones, with the soothing recitation of Surah Ya-Sin filling the room.

Sarah Shafi was born Sarah Khan, on June 19, 1939, in La Bagatelle, Leguan, to parents Jaan Mohamed Khan, and Khadijah Khan. She was the seventh of their eight children: Basheer, Hazrah, Munir, Nasir, Nazir (“Buddy Meiji”, of Enterprise Masjid), Ameer, Nazra, and Meeraj (“May-May”).

In 1955, she married Mohamed Shafi (“Shafi” or “Red Man”), of Cummings Lodge. Together, they lovingly raised six children: Zolikha, Zahora, Ijaz (“Brother”), Fazal (“Duke”), Rakeeya (“Dolly”), and Shaheeda (“Baby”).

As a young woman, she planted and harvested rice in Leguan on her father’s vast rice fields. She became widely admired throughout the island for her remarkable talent in floral artistry, creating breathtaking wedding bouquets and boutonnieres that brought joy to many occasions.

In 1967, she left Leguan for Kingston, where she settled at Lot 8 Barrack Street. During her time in Kingston, her home became a place of comfort and generosity. She warmly welcomed many families from Leguan who voyaged to Georgetown to visit their family members in the nearby hospital, opening her doors without hesitation.

In 1984, she migrated to Canada, and lived in downtown Ottawa. Even into her later years, she remained lively, independent, and full of warmth and spirit until her passing at the age of 86.

She now rests at Highland Park Cemetery, Section L, Lot 1605, alongside her husband.

She will forever be in the hearts and memories of her innumerable loved ones, including her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and countless lives she touched throughout her life’s journey.

Edun Poultry Farms is one of the most successful poultry operations in Guyana and is widely recognized as the country’s largest producer of table eggs. The business is owned and operated by the Edun family (formerly of Bagotstown and is a relative of Ayube Edun the labor advocate) and has grown through a combination of vertical integration, investment in technology, and expansion into feed production, hatchery operations, and egg production.

According to Sharda Edun, in 1985 her father-in-law Abu Sayead Edun started making feed for his personal use. Later, “other farmers came in and were interested in buying feed and from then to now we have good support from the area.” Edun’s has since grown to include the farm, feed factory and a hatchery. The company also produces eggs which are sold both locally and internationally.

What makes Edun Poultry Farms significant?

* Edun Eggs have been a household name in Guyana for more than 20 years.
* The company operates a fully integrated system that includes:
* Hy-Line parent stock birds
* A hatchery
* A feed mill
* Commercial layer farms producing eggs for the local market.
* Their headquarters and main operations are located at Craig, East Bank Demerara.

In recent years, the company has invested heavily in modern poultry technology. In 2026, Edun Poultry Farms completed a US$650,000 manure-drying system, reportedly the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The system converts poultry manure into a valuable agricultural fertilizer and improves environmental sustainability.

The farm’s commercial layer operation produces approximately 50,000 eggs per day, making it one of the largest egg-producing facilities in Guyana.

The Edun family has also been involved in broader agricultural initiatives aimed at reducing Guyana’s dependence on imported feed ingredients. In 2021, Edun Farms joined other major agricultural investors in a large-scale corn and soybean cultivation project intended to support the poultry industry and strengthen food security.

The factory in Craig is where Edun’s began. Now it has branches on the Soesdyke Highway and in Garden of Eden further up the East Bank

The Edun family is among several prominent Muslim business families that have contributed significantly to Guyana’s agricultural and commercial sectors. Their success in poultry farming places them alongside other notable Guyanese Muslim entrepreneurial families whose businesses helped shape the country’s food production industry.

For more than 60 years, the events of Wismar 1964 have remained one of the most painful and controversial chapters in the history of Guyana.

A forthcoming 825-page study titled The Wismar Massacre: A Case of Ethnic Cleansing of Indians in Guyana is the result of over two decades of research, oral history interviews, eyewitness testimonies, and archival investigation from Guyana, Britain, and South Africa.

The book examines the violent attacks carried out against the minority Indian community in Wismar, Christianburg, and Mackenzie in May and July 1964 — attacks that included murder, sexual violence, arson, beatings, and the forced displacement of hundreds of Indo-Guyanese families. Entire communities were uprooted, homes and businesses destroyed, and many survivors were left permanently traumatized.

Leaders such as Cheddi Jagan described the events as a “massacre,” while Janet Jagan referred to them as “genocide.” The author argues that the events most closely resemble ethnic cleansing.

Rather than promoting blame or ethnic superiority, the project seeks to give voice to victims whose stories were often ignored or silenced. Through testimonies from refugees, survivors, officials, and witnesses, the study explores how political tensions, racial division, colonial instability, and violence led to one of the darkest moments in modern Caribbean history.

The book also examines the long-term impact of Wismar 1964 on post-independence Guyanese politics, ethnic relations, migration, and collective memory.

At the heart of the work is a simple but important message: history must be remembered honestly — not to divide people, but to ensure that such tragedies are never repeated.

For generations in Guyana, domestic abuse was often treated as something that stayed “inside the home.” Many people grew up hearing phrases like “married people does fight,” “don’t shame the family,” or “just bear it.” Behind closed doors, countless women, children, and even men suffered in silence.

The roots of this issue go deep into Guyana’s history. During slavery and indentureship in then British Guiana, violence and control became normalized parts of everyday life. Families were broken apart, poverty was widespread, and many people lived under constant hardship. Over time, some of these harsh patterns carried into family life itself.

In old village culture, especially in smaller rural communities, everyone often knew when abuse was taking place — but few interfered. Many women stayed because they had nowhere to go, feared embarrassment, depended financially on their husbands, or worried about how society would judge them. Abuse was not always seen as abuse unless it became extremely physical.

Economic hardship, alcohol abuse, migration stress, jealousy, and generational trauma also played major roles. In many Guyanese homes, children grew up witnessing violence and later carried those same behaviors, fears, or emotional scars into adulthood.

But despite the silence, many survivors endured unimaginable struggles while still raising families, protecting children, and trying to hold households together. Their stories are rarely told openly.

Today, conversations around domestic abuse in Guyana are becoming more public. Younger generations are beginning to challenge old mindsets and speak more openly about mental health, trauma, toxic relationships, and healing.

Understanding this history is not about shaming Guyanese culture. It is about recognizing the pain many people silently carried for generations — and creating healthier homes for the generations to come.

For decades, some Guyanese cricket fans have argued that Guyanese players — particularly Indo-Guyanese cricketers — have faced unfair treatment, favoritism, and underrepresentation within the West Indies cricket team. These concerns are tied to the wider history of race, class, and island politics in Caribbean cricket dating back to the colonial era.

Guyana has produced many legendary cricketers, including Clive Lloyd, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Rohan Kanhai, yet many supporters still believe Guyanese talent has not always received equal recognition within West Indies cricket.

Some also point out that Guyana is geographically unique within the West Indies system. Unlike the other territories, Guyana is not an island but part of the South American mainland. Because of this, some Guyanese feel the country has its own distinct identity, culture, and national interests while still sharing deep Caribbean ties through history and cricket.

Supporters of an independent Guyanese cricket team argue that separation could create more opportunities for local players, strengthen national pride, and reduce dependence on regional cricket politics. They believe Guyana already has the talent, infrastructure, and cricket culture necessary to compete internationally. Their argument is of two past instances and it affected the careers of players like Alvin Kalicharan was wrongfully cut from the team under the false guise of being injured, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was just 86 runs (11,867) away from passing Brian Lara (11,953) but was simply dropped from the team and after a long memorable career with the West Indies did not receive the final send off he so deserved).

While others strongly oppose the idea, arguing that the West Indies team remains one of the Caribbean’s greatest symbols of regional unity and shared history. Critics also note that forming a separate international team would be financially and politically difficult, especially with ICC membership requirements.

Ultimately, the debate is about more than cricket. It reflects wider discussions about identity, race, representation, and whether the West Indies system equally represents all Caribbean peoples — including Guyana, the only mainland South American nation within the West Indies cricket structure.

With the 60th anniversary of independence approaching us, the question of if Guyana should be granted independence from the West Indies cricket team is a question that must be asked.

Meet uncle Faizul Hussain, my dad’s third cousin and one of the few people I’ve come to know that had the opportunity of living in England and eventually moving to the states.

This past Sunday I sat with him at his home in Florida and spoke to him about his life experiences in Mahaica Creek, Georgetown, and recollections of the people he met and the memories he made along the way.

I was granted permission to record this conversation which you can view on YouTube!

Feel free to click on the link that will take you to the video

Voices of our Guyanese elders: Faizul Hussain Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

“I am the eldest grandchild of my dearest grandfather Sewah Rangila, who was the only child of Rukmin Challu who passed away while he was a baby. His father then remarried and have 3 other children who were his step siblings. Because of his situation growing up, he decided to move to Blairmont to work on the sugar plantation when he was just 17 years old. This is where he met my grandmother(Daaling). Together they had 8 children and 32 grandchildren. Among his children was Budua aka Spanner and Baba aka Battery who used to visit Buddy Sewah’s family since they had cars. My grandfather was a very humble, kind and loving person to everyone. He was also a great cook. He was invited to a lot of weddings so he can cook for his food was very tasty especially his Gurumba. He was very popular because of his cooking skills and decent nature. He lived a very fulfilling life because he was loved and respected by most.

My grandfather spent his life working as a cane cutter, carrying heavy bundles on his head for years to provide for his family. The hard labor left his body bent forward with age, but never weakened his spirit. He was a hardworking man who loved and cared deeply for his family.

He lived a good life until about two weeks before he passed away at 70 years old. During that time, my aunt, who lovingly cared for both of my grandparents for years, had to attend a family wedding and asked me to stay with them for the weekend. One afternoon after their nap, my grandmother called me because my grandfather could no longer get out of bed.

I helped care for him that week until he was eventually taken to the hospital, where he passed away a few days later. One moment from that time has stayed with me forever: while I was kneeling to button his shirt, he lifted his hand and gently tapped my head three times. Later, my uncle told me he was blessing me for taking care of them.

My grandparents were such loving souls, and I miss him deeply to this day. He was truly a man with a beautiful soul.

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