Guyana: Flowering Georgetown in April 2016 – By Francis Quamina Farrier

Flowering Georgetown in April 2016

By Francis Quamina Farrier

During the past three decades, Georgetown, which was previously referred to as “The Garden City of the Caribbean”, sadly degenerated to the level of a “Garbage City”. There was garbage here, there and everywhere. Mounds and mounds of stinking garbage. Over the years, from time to time, there were “Clean-up Campaigns”; but, sometimes within hours after those clean-up campaigns, the garbage returned, almost like magic. Actively involved in some of those clean-up campaigns, were some members of the Diplomatic Corps.

“How shameful”, a youngster said to me during one such clean-up campaign, as he looked at those foreign diplomats with protective out-fits, cleaning up the mess which Guyanese had made. For decent, law-abiding citizens, it was a big embarrassment. That state of affairs continued well, until the massive Post General Elections of May 2015, clean-up campaign. There is still lots more cleaning-up to be done, but the City of Georgetown is so much cleaner than it was in April 2015. 

There has been a transformation from “garbage to glory.” What is also quite noticeable, are the many areas where flowers have replaced garbage. However, I have to say, that during the decades of garbage, there have been quite a number of Private Citizens and some Corporate enterprises, who have kept the faith and have always kept their neck of the woods, clean, spotless and Flowering.

Here are just a few examples of Flowering Georgetown, in April 2016.

Flowers on Camp Street in Georgetown, April 2016

Flowers in one of the best kept school compounds in Guyana. The Kawall Primary School at the western end of Canal Number Two in Region Three.

A private property on Middle Street in Georgetown, April 2016.

A Queenstown, Georgetown home, in April 2016, with lots of flowers in front

April 2016, Georgetown is cleaner and once again looking more like a “Garden City” than like a “garbage city

Waterloo Street in Georgetown, in April 2016, looks cleaner and beautiful than it was, in over two decades.

Flowers replace garbage in April 2016, at this Church and East Streets junction in Georgetown.

On Church Street in Georgetown opposite the St. George’s Cathedral, in April 2016, is this cluster of flowers.

The St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Kingston, Georgetown lost its iconic wooden section to fire a few years ago, but in April 2016, it’s flare for flowers is evident.

Queenstown, Georgetown, April 2016. Those who kept Flowering Georgetown alive, over the decades of garbage.