Kaiteur Falls, Kaiteur National Park, Guyana
My family comes from Guyana, a small country in South America. We actually have roots all over the world, but this tiny country is where we lay claim to our heritage.
For as long as I can remember, my Grandparents have described their life in Guyana with a bittersweet fondness. Saddened by the fact that they were forced to leave, but still enchanted by this place of mythical proportions. In their hay day, Guyana was a flourishing, tropical country, it's capital Georgetown a virtual melting pot for all kinds and all races. As a child, I remember almost smelling the flowers, almost knowing the people they spoke about, hearing the sounds and feeling the floorboards beneath my feet in their beloved house on stilts.
Today, Guyana is a much different place. In the little research I have done so far, it seems the shock wave of political corruption and social decline that drove our family to flee still resonates there. If my family ever does return to this country, I fear they will find a shadow of the land they once knew.
When my Grandfather, Paul da Silva, passed away (6 years ago this March) I grew even closer to my Grandmother, Joan. Grandma has become an even more priceless member of our family, an irreplaceable link to our past, to our ancestors and our lost country.
This summer, Grandma is planning to return to Guyana. No one from our immediate family, except my late Grandfather, has been back there in more than 3 decades.
2011 not only marks my Grandmother's 75th year, but also a very special reunion. She used to work at a place called Cable and Wireless when she lived in Guyana. The company today has branched out to a vast array of countries and markets, but it's foundation is laid in telegrams and early telephone communications overseas. One can only imagine the stories they have to tell... I plan to be there when they all meet up again after more then 30 years of being apart.
This blog has been created as a forum for a number of things. I need somethings in order for this project to happen.
1. I need information: Any and all information pertaining to Cable and Wireless Guyana from the 50's, 60's and 70's is vital for me to develop some kind of back story and proposal for this documentary. Interviews, photographs, stories, conversations, contact information... you name it. Send it.
2. I need money: This goes without saying. Airfare is expensive, and I will be traveling from Europe via Canada to get myself there. I have all the equipment I need. Otherwise, I will be working on this entirely for free. This is a project of necessity and a project of passion, but it needs to be funded on a very basic level, nonetheless. If any money is raised above and beyond the overhead expenses, suggestions for a charity in Guyana will warmly be accepted, and all the left over money will be donated.
Thank you for reading and please do check back for updates! I will post all the progress I make, however small or large, and I will keep a running tally of what I have collected, photos, information, interviews, money or otherwise.
Yours in
