Guyana Chronicle
April 25, 2001

MEET Ms Bibi Safora Shadick, 56, who was sworn in on April 12 as Minister within the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. From Waterloo, Leguan Island, in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), she is the fourth child in a family of nine, including four other sisters and a similar number of brothers.

She attended Maryville Canadian Mission School in Leguan, which later became Maryville Government School, from 1949 and, in 1956, was awarded the Essequibo Government County Scholarship to attend Bishops' High School in Georgetown.

On completing her secondary education in 1961, Shadick started teaching - the career she dreamt of as a child- at the same Maryville school and, between 1969 and 1971, was trained as an in-service teacher, before resuming full-time teaching until 1977.

She enrolled at University of Guyana (UG), from where she obtained a Certificate in Education and Bachelor's degree in Education

Shadick continued as a school teacher until 1993 when she took up law studies, also at UG and secured the Bachelor's of Laws degree in 1996.

She proceeded to Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and was successful at obtaining the University of the West Indies Certificate of Legal Education Certificate in 1998.

That same year, she returned to Guyana and was admitted to the local Bar.

Shadick said, after taking the oath, that despite being elevated to the position of Government Minister, teaching remains close to her heart.

"I know that, from my childhood, I always wanted to be a teacher and that is why I taught for 34 years," she said in an interview.

Minister Shadick, acknowledging that her post would be very challenging, said her family is involved in the country's political affairs as strong supporters of the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

She said she ventured into politics when the people of Leguan nominated her to be their local representative for the March 19 general elections.

Among her main concerns are problems affecting pensioners and the provision of birth certificates to unregistered persons. Shadick said she wants to ensure that pensioners and elderly people "do not get a hard time".

She said she learnt that many eligible for pensions are also experiencing great difficulties to secure Pension Books at post offices. "Old people should not be pushed around to get the little money that the Government gives them," Shadick maintained. She intends to deal, as well, with issues affecting children and adults of both sexes, all matters related to human services.

The Minister would like to see every child get a birth certificate, so they can individually access education. She said there are many communities, especially in the riverain areas, where children are not registered and she hopes to solve this problem by working with teachers, parents and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). (Rushanti Mangal,GIS)