https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/business/first-of-many-umami-ships-commercial-container-to-qatar/
‘First of many’ – UMAMI ships commercial container to Qatar
Guyana’s first commercial shipment of UMAMI-manufactured products to Qatar has left the country, with Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar Safraaz Ahmad Shadood describing the export as the “first of many” containers expected to carry locally produced goods to the Gulf.
The shipment of Guyanese-made sauces, seasonings and condiments is destined for LuLu Hypermarket in Abu Sidra, Qatar, following the official launch there last September 8.
The company in a statement yesterday said that since the market launch in Doha last month, the first container has now sailed from Guyana as Agriculture Month 2026 gets underway.
It quoted Ambassador Shadood as saying that the shipment represents a significant development for Guyanese manufacturing as he encouraged other local manufacturers that meet the requirements for entry into Middle Eastern markets to pursue similar opportunities.
The ambassador, according to the statement, also pointed to the role of Guyana’s embassy in Qatar in facilitating the opportunity, saying its economic diplomacy efforts helped secure interest in Guyanese-produced goods.
The statement further quoted President Irfaan Ali as saying the shipment demonstrated the conversion of economic opportunities into actual trade and that the focus should now be on increasing the volume of Guyanese products moving through those markets.
LuLu Global Director Dr Mohamed Althaf said the retailer was partnering with UMAMI to introduce its products to consumers in Qatar and described the first commercial shipment as an opportunity to expand trade cooperation between Guyana and the Gulf region.
UMAMI Managing Director Chris Persaud said LuLu has given the company an opportunity to showcase its work on an international platform. “There is a special sense of pride in seeing a container leave Guyana knowing that what is inside was manufactured here, by Guyanese people, and will ultimately carry our country’s name onto international supermarket shelves,” he expressed.
Persaud had earlier shared that this development shows that Guyana’s export potential extends beyond the shipment of primary commodities, with local manufacturers capable of adding value to agricultural resources, producing finished goods and building brands for international markets. “Guyana has tremendous opportunities beyond exporting primary commodities. We can add value to what we grow and produce, manufacture world-class finished products in Guyana, build Guyanese brands, and export those brands internationally,” he said.
Qatar’s diverse population, Persaud said, presents an opportunity for the brand, given that consumers come from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. However, he acknowledged that establishing a sustained presence in the market will require more than securing shelf space.
Umami plans to build consumer awareness, support promotions and tastings and assess which products perform best, with the aim of generating repeat purchases and establishing a long-term presence in the region.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Man born in Guyana stabbed to death in NY
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/man-born-in-guyana-stabbed-to-death-in-ny/
Man born in Guyana stabbed to death in NY
A man who was born in Guyana was stabbed in an argument just steps from his Queens home and bled to death in his grieving mother’s arms early yesterday, according to the New York Daily News.
Sulimon Ferrier, 29, was across the street from his home on Jamaica Avenue near 175th Street in Jamaica with his father Peter Ferrier at about 12:55 a.m. when he got into an argument with the suspect, who pulled a weapon and repeatedly stabbed him in the chest, according to cops and heartbroken family members.
The report said that Ferrier’s mother heard the commotion from their apartment and rushed outside to find her son in a death struggle in the middle of the street.
“They both fell on the floor,” Ferrier’s mother, Cynthia Ferrier Timmers, told the Daily News, breaking down in tears. “He’s like, ‘Mom! He have a knife! He’s stabbing me!’”
Once the suspect ran off, Timmers ran over to her son’s side.
“I pulled my son and I pick him up,” she said. “He collapsed on the floor. He was bleeding, so I tried to compress the bleeding.”
“He said, Mom, I love you! I love you!” she said, breaking down again.
“She was embracing him when he died,” family friend Diana Moliere said, according to the Daily News report.
Sulimon Ferrier was the father of four, the oldest just 10 years old.
“He ran up and stabbed him,” Ferrier’s grieving father said about his son’s killer. “You have to catch him. I lose my son, but he has to pay the penalty.”
Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock
NBC 4 New York said that the younger Ferrier was remembered by family and friends as someone who was playful and close with his family.
“He’s a very jolly kid, he’s 29, but he would come and joke around, he would come hug his mom,” Peter Ferrier told NBC New York. “Oh, man I don’t know how my wife will take this.”
A friend, Raymond Khan, described the moments after the stabbing. “He was screaming, he was screaming ‘I’m hurt,’ he was grasping for breath.”
Ferrier was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“He was a very good kid, he never got himself in no trouble,” said Khan.
Another friend, Leon Barker, said Ferrier left behind four children.
“So nice,” is how Barker described him, as he struggled to comprehend the tragedy. “I don’t know, man.”
A neighbour, Mohamed Shafeer, called the killing a devastating loss. “This is a tragedy, to be honest, and hopefully it becomes (safer) to be around (the area),” Shafeer told NBC 4 New York.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Praying for justice for Nathan Craig and Shariff Zainul
https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/praying-for-justice-for-nathan-craig-and-shariff-zainul/
Praying for justice for Nathan Craig and Shariff Zainul
Dear Editor,
I am writing to offer my support to two distressing cases involving our elderly citizens and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), which I recently read about in the newspapers. The cases I refer to are Mr. Nathan Craig, an 81-year-old gentleman from Linden, and Mr. Shariff Zainul, who is 75.
According to the reports, Mr. Craig, of 204 Cedar Street, MacKenzie, Linden, worked for Kaieteur Company Limited and later for Linden Mining Enterprise Limited from 1990 to 2003. It is alleged that he made all the qualifying contributions, yet he waited 13 years for a conclusion to his hearing before the NIS Appeal Tribunal. He was finally notified on December 18, 2023, that he had won his appeal. Since that time, he has reportedly not received his NIS pension.
In a similar vein, Mr. Zainul is said to have worked and paid NIS contributions from 1969 to 2001 and turned 75 on October 16, 2026. He, too, has reportedly not received his NIS pension and is now bedridden.
This situation is deeply troubling. It represents an irregularity that has been allowed to persist for far too long. When citizens pay into the NIS, they do so loyally and with a clear expectation—a legal right—to benefits for the payments they have made and to a replacement income when their bodies no longer allow them to earn a living.
Every nation must show compassion and empathy for its elders. One cannot help but ask: how much longer must these two gentlemen wait for the benefits they are rightfully owed?
I want to say to Mr. Craig from Linden and to Mr. Zainul how deeply sorry I am, as a Guyanese, to read of your plight. I sincerely pray that this matter be resolved sooner rather than later.
The National Insurance Scheme can and must do better than this. This is not how we should treat people who played a role in building this nation in the past. On the Board of the NIS is Mr. Seepaul Narine, a Union Leader from GAWU, a PPP Member of Parliament and an executive member of the PPP. Is this how Mr. Seepaul plans to treat the workers of this country?
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Prashad
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
GDF, Brazil Armed Forces discuss tackling trafficking, illegal mining
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/gdf-brazil-armed-forces-discuss-tackling-trafficking-illegal-mining/
GDF, Brazil Armed Forces discuss tackling trafficking, illegal mining
How to address illegal mining was one of the issues that the Guyana and Brazil armed forces recently discussed.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said in a release that it continues to enhance its strategic partnership with Brazil.
The GDF said that just recently, the 29th Regional Military Exchange between the GDF and the Brazilian Armed Forces was held in Boa Vista, Brazil.
Captain (CG) Vernon Burnett and Commander of the 1st Jungle Infantry Brigade of the Brazilian Army, Brigadier General Roberto Pereira Angrizani, co-chaired the meeting.
The release said that this annual forum enables both forces to align operational priorities and coordinate critical security measures along Guyana’s southern border. During the exchange, discussions focused on tackling pressing cross-border issues, including illicit trafficking, illegal mining, and transnational criminal networks.
“By sharing operational information and evaluating common border challenges, both delegations advanced their defence diplomacy, sharpened joint situational awareness, and reinforced the long-standing professional relationship between the two militaries.
“Through continued dialogue and active collaboration, the GDF remains committed to safeguarding our national borders and maintaining regional peace and stability”, the release said.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Mohamed says Lewis’ resignation will not overshadow WIN’s work
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/mohamed-says-lewis-resignation-will-not-overshadow-wins-work/
Mohamed says Lewis’ resignation will not overshadow WIN’s work
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed yesterday said he respects Dr. André Lewis decision to resign from the National Assembly in light of allegations that are currently under investigation.
In a statement shared with Kiskadee Watch, Mohamed said he became aware of the allegations concerning Lewis and subsequently held discussions with him about the matter. Lewis informed him during that discussion that he had decided to resign from the National Assembly because he did not want the allegations and the ongoing investigation to negatively affect the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party or to overshadow the work the party is undertaking.
Lewis resigned from the National Assembly last Friday, citing allegations against him and an ongoing investigation into the matter. Since then, he has declined to comment when contacted by Kiskadee Watch.
WIN confirmed Friday that the allegations are sexual in nature and involved a minor at the time the offence was committed.
Mohamed yesterday described the allegations as serious and said they must be allowed to be properly investigated by the relevant authorities. At the same time, he said that no conclusion of guilt should be drawn while the investigation is ongoing.
“As Leader of WIN and Representative of the List, I respect Dr. Lewis’ decision to resign and his stated desire to ensure that the work of the Party is not overshadowed by this matter,” Mohamed said.
He said WIN would continue to focus on the work entrusted to the party by the people of Guyana, while respecting the ongoing investigation and the due process to which all persons are entitled.
Lewis holds a BA (Hons), BSc, MA, MSc and PhD and describes himself as an educator, linguist, researcher and advocate for education and equal opportunity.
In a statement on Team Mohamed’s page on July 31, 2025, Lewis shared that he has worked in classrooms, higher education, migrant communities and cultural institutions in Guyana and abroad. He said his professional experience has included policy development, research and training educators, as well as working with communities whose concerns he believes are often overlooked.
Lewis said his decision to enter politics was driven by his concerns about education, opportunities for young people and national development.
He joined the WIN party and said he was attracted to the party’s stated focus on education, technology, healthcare, youth empowerment and language access.
Addressing young Guyanese, Lewis said they should participate actively in national affairs, including politics, policymaking, education and business. He said his vision is for a Guyana where opportunities are more accessible, teachers are valued and citizens are treated with dignity, while describing leadership as a form of service rather than status.
Lewis also said his political involvement was rooted in a desire to move beyond Guyana’s traditional political divisions and create greater opportunities for citizens. He entered the National Assembly following the 2025 general elections.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Discussion