So apparently January and February came and went and we are already heading towards the end of March. I can’t believe how time flies when you are having fun…am I still having fun? Well yeah, most of the time. The job and Guyana continue to present me with almost daily challenges but I certainly don’t regret my decision to come and do VSO.

So for those of you dying to hear the next instalment I will try and summarise the main highs and lows. Having left this task alone for almost 3 months I am thinking that I am probably responsible for setting my own challenge in this instance. The normal service type activities have continued as before, delivering Speech and Language Therapy in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Assistants within a number of different locations. I have also done my visits to most of the regions, as planned, for the first quarter. Visits included New Amsterdam Rehabilitation Department and Special School and Region # 5, where together with another VSO we delivered an early identification and intervention workshop to a group of health care workers.



On the social side of things Alex came to visit in January, which was great. Great in terms of having some time off but also in the sense of showing her around some of the places I have been mentioning over the last year and a half. She got to meet and ‘vet’ Wayne too, which was good….I think he passed with reasonable marks (well at least until the Ricky comment….don’t ask!). Alex being here gave me a good excuse to do a few more things as well, like visit Suriname. A few things to organise in terms of VISAs and transport and a slightly long journey but a nice change (for me) from Georgetown none the less. Suriname was quite similar to Guyana, but I would say quieter and cleaner (sorry guys but you still need to work on your compulsion to beep your horn for no good reason and throw everything over the sea wall!)….it was also very ‘Dutch’, though most places were very happy to give you an English menu and spoke perfect English. During Alex’s visit we also had a trip to Bartica; region # 7 and Kaiteur. Although I had already done Kaiteur it was again totally breath taking and I was really pleased to share the experience with Alex, Wayne and Othniel this second time. We should at this time all pat Alex on the back for getting on the (sardine can type) plane…she wasn’t sure on her arrival to Guyana but came good in the end.




On Alex’s departure I was obviously sad to see her go but it was eased by the fact that is seemed like only a little bit longer before I would be seeing her and everyone again having completed nearly a year and half of my two year placement. I also had plenty to be getting on with at work so I threw myself back into things to keep myself occupied.

Come February we had a new batch of volunteers, including a new Speech and Language Therapist – hurrah! This means for me that I will get to share my work load somewhat and so I hope be able to focus on a few last minute projects before leaving my placement.


A slight spanner in the works going by the name of ‘Denge Fever’ (also known as break bone fever – nice,) threw things off for a while around the weekend of Mash, a public holiday, so I was signed off work for seven days. Not much point in going into too many details but all I would say is that I wouldn’t recommend it! I have to say a big thank you to my next door neighbour, Michelle, who took excellent care of me, checking in and trying to tempt me with fruit ( I did try to eat a bit I promise!). Anyway I think I got lucky as by the eighth day I was pretty much back to my old self, which was great….Denge has a habit of hanging around for lots of people.

Having one week out meant I was a little behind with my planning and schedules, but I managed to get things back on track. I was involved in a workshop which focused on a newly developed Assessment Kit, which was really good. The kits have been developed for each of the regions and main departments, with the aim of supporting the rehabilitation assistants on home visits, particularly in those regions were patients cannot travel to the departments because of the distances involved.



March 14th and Michelle hosted a slightly early St. Patricks Day party. As is now tradition all attendees were obliged to wear green, white and orange/gold; which I could just about handle in terms of ‘dressing up’; Not a big fan of fancy dress as some of you will already know. It was really good fun and again Michelle persevered with trying to teach us all some Irish Dancing, I think for most of us we were probably better at the drinking part of the festivities but we gave it a go none the less.





Today I am writing from Lethem, Region # 9. Myself and Nicolette, another VSO have been here since the beginning of the week as part of a seven day coaching visit. We have been really pleased with the activity. We have as usual been working with the rehabilitation assistants and have done home visits, training sessions with parents and teachers and conducted some sessions to support the assistants in their professional development. Lethem is very different to Georgetown, on the border of Brazil and so with understandable influences in the form of meat on sticks (and really not much else!) and very cheap Havana flip flops! It is also very dry, hot and orange! As I say it has been a great visit and for me very satisfying since it now means that during my placement I have visited each of the ten administrative regions of Guyana and worked in all nine of the regions where rehabilitation departments and assistants are placed.







My other news is that of the now infamous wedding plans! After much to- ing and fro-ing Wayne and I have opted to get married in Barbados, a decision made after considering many different things including friends and families but also the legalities of the two of us being together in the UK. The plans are now that our (very) immediate families will be meeting in Barbados at the end of my placement to join us in a small ceremony over looking the beach ( I can’t wait!!)….Wayne will then, unfortunately, have to return to Guyana to apply for his UK VISA. We are hoping that it won’t take long and that in the mean time I will be able to return and settle back into life in the UK, hopefully quickly find a job and set up things with my flat. According to the current information it shouldn’t take more than 12 weeks so hopefully by Christmas we should be back together in the UK. We are aware that there are many of our close friends and family members who would have liked to share with us in our wedding celebrations, as would we; however we are very much looking forward to some belated celebrations to coincide with Wayne’s successful landing in the UK. We promise to share the stories and the photographs with you on our return and hope that you understand our reasons for going for this option….come on anyway….sun and sea and all inclusive accommodation, who wouldn’t?!

So there you have it an attempted summary of my last few months, activities and thoughts. I hope that you found it interesting. Love to you all….I know that for some the current times are frustrating and challenging in terms of work and funds but I hope that you are all still smiling as best you can and looking after each other….you can cut back and still have fun….I have been eating rice more or less every day for over a year and look at me, still mostly smiling!!!

Ps if you are going to invite me over when I return I would rather not have rice, Thanks…..Hannah x