Aishalton Resident Says Better Interpersonal Skills Training Needed for Village Councilors

25th of August, 2021. Region 9, Guyana, South America

A negative experience with a village councilor a few days ago has left a prominent resident of Aishalton village in a state of shock, but she has channeled her energies into a positive direction by trying to pinpoint some areas where she thinks training may be lacking.

Ms. Rema La Rose is a prominent and proactive resident of the village of Aishalton who has spent a lot of time engaging in community development projects in the village of Aishalton in South Rupununi Savannahs, Region 9, Guyana, South America.

On the 23rd of August, 2021, at around 4:30 pm, just after she had left a village meeting and was heading home, a village councilor approached her from a distance of about 50 meters and shouted that she should not post the village’s business on Facebook. The young woman was shocked and caught off guard. She later browsed her Facebook posts, but the only thing pertaining to Aishalton Village that she posted was:

Aishalton village meeting now. Where there is no vision the people perish.

-the facebook post by rema la rose that might have drawn the ire of the village councilor

Ms. La Rose relates that she is confused as to how a post as general and inoffensive as this could offend someone. Further, she is distraught that she was verbally attacked in pubic when the right thing for the village councilor to have done in that circumstance was request to speak to her privately. On this note, Rema says she has identified an area of skills training that is generally lacking in the village – and as such, the problem is not just with this one councilor, but is widespread.

Rema suggests that before young villagers are promoted to becoming councilors, they should first undergo rigorous interpersonal skills training in order to avoid distasteful incidents like the one described above – incidents which can easily escalate or cause people to withdraw from village activities.

She further explained that this new councilor was voted in on the 8th of May and she is surprised that he is off to such an early start of abusing his power. She is particular shocked that the councilor would have the audacity to verbally abuse someone several years his senior simply because he was appointed councilor and worries that a repeat of this type of incident is likely unless measures are put into place to prevent it – such as interpersonal skills training.

Rema Smith La Rose is an indigenous woman residing in Aishalton Village who is firm adherent to the Seventh-Day Adventist Faith. She is presently constructing a Rural Wellness Center which was approved by the village. Under this project, she plans to harness the knowledge gained during her studies at Bethany Medical Mission College and promote the use of herbal remedies and other nature’s cures for the people of Aishalton Village. She believes this project will tremendously benefit the people of the village in addition to helping to preserve the indigenous culture.