Earlier this year, after some ups and downs, Adrian Sydney Gomes, 58, of Maruranau Village, South Rupununi achieved his goal of completing a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in bilingual education.
Gomes was inspired to pursue the doctorate by Wapishana leaders and his recognition of the need for additional training to promote community-based literacy in a bilingual setting where the Wapishana language and culture may thrive and where teaching is done in English.
Having seen the potential for the Wapishana culture to grow in Wapishana villages, Gomes, now an applied linguist, resigned in September 2010 as principal of Aishalton Secondary School where he taught for 11 years, to revive and expand the use of the Wapishana language.
