"They're No Good"

Guyana is a little country on the tip of South America bordered by Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela. There is nothing Latino about Guyana at all; rather it is strictly Caribbean in culture and outlook on life. Its ethnic background consists of approximately half Afro-Guyanese and half Indo-Guyanese, with a small Chinese population. Islam, Christianity and Hinduism are widely practiced. Most locals also believe in traditional folklore and legends. Guyana is a Third World nation struggling for recognition and respect. A former British colony and independent only for 39 years, it is a country that already has staggering debt to the World Bank and IMF. Its economy is currently in a downward spiral, the corrupt government is severely mistrusted and they have the 2nd highest population with HIV/AIDS in the western hemisphere. The homeless do not constitute a large segment of society. However, increased nationwide drug use and economic pressures have led to more people walking the streets. Those that are homeless receive daily insults or are ignored. It is as if they do not exist. Why?

Celeste Hamilton
Guyana - 04/03/2005
  He’s hot. He’s tired. He’s hungry. Mahendro Ramdeo cannot think of anything else but the roti and potato curry the man on Kent Street made for him last night. So he puts on his faded sneakers and slowly lifts himself out of the soiled church bed. Destination? Kent Street, New Amsterdam, Guyana, South America. There he finds unlimited generosity, naiveté and leftovers.

He takes his time before he raps on the door, however. He knows he must work for his share. He will not be like the other street bums. He will not be like the androgynous Audrey who demands an ice cream cone from everyone she meets, nor will he be like Master Hobo who harasses you continuously for money for his next opium hit. So he uses his cutlass to clear the bushes with the faded underwear hanging over the fence, and then collects his only food for the day. He walks down the steps and continues on his never-ending quest for food, work and respect.

One of New Amsterdam’s most recognizable homeless, Mahendro is the type of guy who fades in and out of the picture like your favorite supporting actor in a film. With a mop of black curly hair that screams "What’s Up!", a scraggly beard that is wild and infrequently trimmed as the bushes he claims to cut and a missing right front tooth, he’s not good-looking enough to stare at the screen for long but fascinating enough for you to want that glimpse. He’s not the main protagonist in your life in Guyana but the narrative wouldn’t be complete without him. Sincere, appreciative and non-threatening, Mahendro retains his dignity and compassion in a society that is quick to overfeed the rich foreigner and slow to acknowledge their own downtrodden. So you hand him your leftover pizza. You share a cigarette. And you give him your attention, hoping that today’s the day he decides to quit smoking crack.

Mahendro is one of the growing number of homeless who walk the dirt roads and pot-holed streets of Guyana. Many Guyanese are apathetic to his situation and others like him. They look around at the numerous mango and coconut trees and see no lack of food. They see beyond the coast where more than 90% of the population of 750,000 live to the 81,000 square miles of untouched land and see no lack of shelter. They look in their black phone books at numbers of numerous Guyanese who live “outside” in various places like the US and Canada and see no lack of money. They look to their left and to their right of their houses and see a huge family nexus of mothers, fathers, aunties, uncles, cousins and friends and see no lack of support. They look around their town and see jobs but men sitting at rum shops all day. "Some I feel sorry for ‘cause I know that they can’t do better for themselves. But then there are others whom I know they can get jobs around the place and yet they don’t. They’re no good. They just choose to beg," says Niaz Khan, a young computer engineer. "People get fed up ‘cause when you walk down the road there is like 12 people bothering you on the road for money. And then they will tell you they going and buy food but you can smell the rum in their breaths."

Alcohol and drug dependency is an increasing problem in Guyanese society but it is a problem that is mainly ignored. "The drug problem is snowballing. And the government is operating in dreamland. I don’t think they are facing up to the harsh realities of the Guyana situation," says Errol Alphonoso, former Mayor of New Amsterdam. Deportees are continuing to make up a significant amount of the population, and with their return are bringing back their drug habits that got them kicked out in the first place. Newspaper headlines consistently read, "Guyanese busted for smuggling drugs through JFK airport." Rum, historically an important part of Caribbean culture, is going down the throats of more and more men. And the youth are increasingly turning to drugs such as crack, marijuana and "locaine", a local term for the mouth-numbing medicine that dentists use, as an outlet for boredom and economic pressures. The result is a society where homelessness and drug use are inadvertently intertwined.

Leaning nonchalantly back on the yellow plastic chair, Mahendro openly admits his drug problem. It began when Mahendro took a welding job alongside his uncle at the age of 20 that was to go awry. While Mahendro was eagerly learning the trade, his uncle was stealing welding sets from the job and selling them. He blamed it on his nephew when he was finally caught. Mahendro spent five years of his life in lock-up and learned the way of the ganja. Snorting lines and smoking crack with his brother then became the norm soon after his release. He knows his drug use is a big mistake. But he has trouble quitting. There is no rehabilitation center for him to turn to - the only one in Georgetown costs $170 a month - nor does he have much family support. "To be truthful, my father doesn’t welcome me. I bully them," he says matter of fact. "But if I quit drugs, my parents could be very good capital for me. They could start me all over again."

His close friendship with drugs leads him from the trenches around town to the New Amsterdam selling, which he likens to the Chicago O’Hare Airport. His rest is as erratic as the beats in an Indian song. Oftentimes, Mahendro doesn’t sleep for three days straight. On other days that all he does, sleeping for a solid 48 hours. Sometimes you may not notice he’s gone. Skinny, quiet and stylish in a 70’s sort of way he blends into the town’s background better than the rest of his peers, those colorful homeless who are so bizarre that you wonder if they have been teleported from your own imagination. And sometimes he’s all you see. Whether you’re hanging out at a Chinese restaurant or listening to the locals belt out the latest Indian hits at karaoke night, Mahendro Ramdeo is sure to glide by, seeking recognition of his very existence. If you have a little something to eat, all the better. "Everybody’s just looking to survive, regardless of the means," he says.

Mahendro understands that survival is the key component in Guyanese life. The population is growing, unemployment is on the rise and the average income is little than three US dollars per day. Having only been an independent nation free of British rule since only 1966, Guyana is still a baby and is just learning how to walk on its own. Racial politics between the two parties-the Indian dominated PPP and the African dominated PNC-are a major cause of disconcertment. Too often, people focus on the color of the President’ skin than of the real issues at hand. Though the number of people on the streets has increased over the last few years, there are few government assisted programs to help them. A few churches offer hot meals and a bed for a night or two, but there is a limited availability of both publicly-provided homes and residential facilities such as a drop-in or shelter centers/services. Ivelaw James Brooks, founding member of the Congo Nya Cultural Group in Guyana and Rastafarian faith, illuminates the problem in a philosophical light. "The world is such a big place and we only have a place for few," he says. "People are educated and still can’t get a job. It is a natural thing that some people come to suffer and some people don’t." However, Brooks tries to be proactive and help out all he can; on Sunday afternoons he and his group provide food and free drumming lessons for the poor children in his neighborhood. Still, like many others, he recognizes that a combination of pride and Darwin’s survival of the fittest are the guiding principles of his people. "Some Guyanese are callous," says Alphonso. "Most aren’t concerned with the homeless because they are concerned with their own survival and existence." People have little money themselves and to give some away might mean not having food on the table that night.

Often, the homeless situation in Guyana has been an indirect cause of the high incidences of crime in the country, especially robbery. The robbing of everything from light bulbs and bicycles to money from church collection plates gives many Guyanese a pessimistic attitude towards the homeless. However, some prominent community members attempt to discourage dependency by creating low-paying jobs in hopes of preventing more homelessness. Jackie Benn, Deputy Headmistress of Vryman’s Erven Secondary School in New Amsterdam, is of the opinion that though homelessness is not widespread, it is slowly becoming a nationwide issue and must be controlled anyway people see fit. "We have many students who belong to families living below the poverty line and we hope to help by trying to alleviate poverty," says Ms. Benn. "One way of doing so is not by giving out alms to the homeless but encouraging them to be gainfully employed."

Mahendro is one of the lucky few who occasionally find employment. And if you give, Mahendro is the kind of man who gives back. Instead of resorting to crime like some of his destitute peers do, Mahendro works for you. He’ll pick up the trash in your backyard or leave a pink flower on your door as his sign of thanks. Or he’ll leave bird pepper that is "pleasing to the human heart" on your stairs as the ultimate signifier of his appreciation. Leaving small gifts from nature and searching for overgrown bushes keeps Mahendro going. He is the eternal wanderer. Without many friends and with a lot of time, he cleans people’s bins and clears bushes for anywhere from $400 to $3,000 per day. He’s careful not to place all his trust in the New Amsterdam community however. "If you depend on them too much, there will come a time when they will reject you," he says.

He knows the feeling of rejection all too acutely. His only wife, Sharmela, left him for another man. Meeting her literally through a sign, Mahendro thought it would last forever. She was living in the first house that he passed every morning on his way to his uncle’s. They became friendly with one another but what finally lured her in was his "No Trespassing" sign he made for the house. Then she knew she could marry him. Mahendro stopped smoking and fathered two sons, Srinauth and Swami, now ages four and two respectively. But sobriety ended only after one year, on the day he discovered Sharmela was unfaithful. Of course he’s lonely, he admits, but his hunger for food far outweighs his hunger for love.

The last thing that made Mahendro smile was a satisfying meal. A meal for him is anything from bread and water to chicken curry and rice. "When the body feels hunger, it’s pain. Your day in hellfire. Even sour can become sweet for you," he says. Sometimes he goes to the Catholic Church for food. Sometimes he goes to the white man for food, admitting he’s been spending money on his drug habit. "White people are real friendly, and real cruel. But they can give their heart for you as long as you are truthful."

Mahendro is honest. And his honesty has been his bartering tool for food. But many other homeless are not so lucky. In Georgetown, the capital city, food programs such as Food for the Poor and the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) cannot meet the demand with their limited and decreasing supply of food. Shelter is another issue that is becoming a problem. There is one known night shelter in Georgetown where homeless people can go in the evening from about 6.00 pm, have a bath and a hot meal and sleep. The shelter has two buses which pick up homeless people around the city every evening to bring them to the shelter, and there is also an outdoor benab where they can stay during the day if they wish. There is no shelter in New Amsterdam, Guyana’s second largest city, though there is talk of one being built. Local NGOs and religious organizations assist with shelter and food in any way they can but it is still not enough for the growing population of homeless. Mothers with little babies continue to walk the streets begging while Mahendro and many others like him adhere to a culture of dependency and a society still not completely free from its colonial ties.

Mahendro has no link to the “outside” to generate money, much family support nor the prospect of employment. People avoid eye contact or viciously throw rocks at him in disdain for his kind; Mahendro recoils and shudders with embarrassment but attempts to hold his head up high. The past may have dealt harshly with Mahendro but the future looks warm and inviting to his brown eyes. He knows that the days of boyhood revelry in the Berbice River and the days of laughing with his four sisters are gone. The days of happily helping at his uncle’s car repair shop are too, gone. Mahendro accepts this but believes he can start again, without drugs and with a welding job. Shunned, insulted and rejected daily he knows it’s going to be hard but he vows to reverse the fate that has become him. For now, he will continue to bathe in the lily pond canal and knock on the door on Kent Street. But not for long. He is determined to quit smoking and resurrect the father he is for his two beloved sons. "I never give up", he says. "Because I know for a fact, I know I can stand up as Mahendro."

Mahendro may be optimistic but a flood that has just ravished the capital city and surrounding areas has left many couches, cattle and cane lying in a pool of water. With the end of January this year came the heaviest rains-forty inches as compared to the average eight-the country has seen in over a century. Coupled with an improper dam system, the rain has created widespread homelessness for Guyana and has left flooded homes, ruined crops and deadly diseases. It is estimated that 200,000 people have been affected with 35,000 people severely affected and homeless. Half of those homeless are children.

Many who never thought they would be in situation like Mahendro’s now find themselves surrounded by dying animals with little food and shelter. Residents, including the children, spend a majority of the day on the public roads awaiting hampers of food being provided by the government, businesses, and international organizations. At least 5,000 are staying in schools, churches and public buildings until they find housing, and dry land, again.

The government of Guyana has responded quickly and efficiently to alleviate the problem. In an effort to assist the homeless, the government has handed out hot meals, mattresses, dried rations, water and other relief supplies. The Guyanese are displaying a unified spirit not seen since their independence, and have cast aside racial and political differences to create a caring collective. Unfortunate as it is, the flood may be a wake up call for those many Guyanese who previously lacked sympathy for and excluded the homeless. "The flood has created a shock for Guyanese society. People are forced to make a contribution in different ways" says Brooks. "It is a better result for the country because of the disaster. We now have one head."

Mahendro and others like him can only hope that as the water recedes, compassion isn’t washed down the drain.

Appendix

I was a US Peace Corps volunteer living in New Amsterdam, Guyana from 2003-05. Being white, and being a foreigner, I was not treated like Mahendro and others like him. It felt unjust. I didn’t want rocks thrown at me, but knew that the attention bestowed upon me was somehow unfair. Locals would pass by and scoff at the homeless while bringing me enormous plates of food and bottles of beer. I couldn’t understand why such a kind culture would treat one of their own, with disdain.

The reasons, I found out, are complex and delve deep into a tangled history. The Guyanese psyche is riddled with contradictions and confusions due to their colonization and abject poverty they are now thrust into. It is a dilemma that many post-colonial countries experience. Simply saying that they have no heart is false, and paints an undeserved generalization.

The Guyana government right now is grappling with post-flood repairs. There is no doubt that this widespread disaster has opened the eyes and minds of the locals to see the homeless around them because many have become homeless themselves. The problem remains on what to do once post-flood reconstruction is over. A reactive response calls for more overnight homeless shelters and a more organized and efficient food supply system. Other organizations could help by hosting donated food nights for example. Also, the drug rehabilitation center in Georgetown needs a lower fee and affordable rehab centers need to be built nationwide, not only in the capital city. With these centers, however, a base of knowledgeable persons skilled in the areas of counseling/drug treatment would be needed. If not available, universities nationwide should offer such a program in their course of studies.

A proactive response calls for a widespread community dialogue about not only the homeless but the drug situation as well seeing how they are inextricably related, to explore the causes and consequences in a particular region. Talks at schools, NGOs, churches, etc… could raise awareness. Career guidance curriculums also need to be stronger and implemented in the many secondary schools that lack the program so as to gear the youth towards productive employment. The government is mainly focused on education at the moment; this could be an ideal way to combine social responsibility and education and change the attitude from "This is HIS problem" to "This is OUR problem."

Another proactive response is to create self-sustaining community projects that generate income. Projects such as craft-making, for example, would boost morale, build self-esteem, illustrate the notions of accountability and responsibility and create pride. Combined, this would help to decrease the need to turn to chemical substances and provide employment.

Social exclusion depresses Guyana’s morale and leads to more division in an already deeply divided society. Understanding and compassion is ultimately at the root of solving this problem; without it, little can be done.

Minorities & Social Exclusion | Guyana | Reports