Dr. Esan Reid is a star
–     In the firmament of Guyana’s education sector
–     Lauds Cuban scholarship programme
EDUCATION is the key to success, and there exists a plethora of examples of this adage in Guyana – Dr. Esan Reid and his brothers among them.
Eldest of five brothers born and raised at Bagotstown on the East Bank of Demerara, Esan attended the Eccles Primary School, from where he won a place at St. Stanislaus High School. Opting to complete sixth form studies at Queen’s College, Esan was subsequently awarded a scholarship to study medicine in Cuba, an experience that he said he would remember for all times with pleasure.
He was adamant that, despite some persons attempting to paint negative stories about studying in Cuba, except for very rare instances, which had to do with the students themselves, the treatment meted out to scholarship awardees was exceptional, which enabled students the comfort level to focus on their goals. According to Esan, he thoroughly enjoyed his Cuban experience and would not have exchanged it for anything.
Upon his return home Esan served his internship at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, popularly referred to as the Best Hospital. He was then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), which he said afforded him priceless experience in patient care. He is currently attached to the East Bank Regional Hospital at Diamond.
Esan’s first career choice was aviation. However, he has no regrets in accepting the offer of a scholarship from the government to study medicine in Cuba because he has grown to love his profession from which he achieves ultimate satisfaction through helping sick persons to get well, and alleviating their physical maladies.
He is an exceptional role model to younger siblings Victor, also a Cuban scholarship awardee who opted to study Civil Engineering and who is currently attached to the Ministry of Works; Jermaine, whose career choice is a fireman; Patrick, a construction contractor; and big-brotherly love shone out of his indulgently smiling face as he spoke of his 20-year-old “baby brother” who has not yet found his professional niche.
President Bharrat Jagdeo is always propounding on government’s wealth-creational and empowerment facilitating mechanisms that could transpose the poorest person into a future rife with possibilities if one is prepared to accept the opportunities provided and make the necessary sacrifices.
The proud parents of these five exceptional young men are simple persons with no great academic backgrounds. Mr. and Mrs. Reid have ordinary jobs as electrician and toll clerk at the Demerara Harbour Bridge; but they have done an extraordinary job of raising their children. These are exemplary Guyanese parents who have retained old-world virtues and value systems which they have inculcated into their children, who have amply rewarded them in return.
During the recent commissioning by the CIOG of the mosque at Parfaite Harmony, President Bharrat Jagdeo extolled the virtues of the children of the Ramroop family, which he ascribed to the values imparted to them by their parents, who are extremely wealthy in terms of material possessions, but who yet retain simplicity, grace, dignity, and an overwhelming sense of civic duty combined with boundless compassion for the helpless and vulnerable persons in society.
The patriarch of the family, Dr. Ramroop, is a staunch Hindu who tries to uplift his religion, while the matriarch, who donated the mosque to the community, is a dedicated Moslem; and these parents have together brought up children who are complete humanists, according to President Jagdeo.
Value systems are inculcated into children by their parents first, and then by their teachers and community leaders; but ultimately the pathways in life on which they want to walk is the personal choice of each individual.
Eric Phillips of ACDA and other community leaders, such as Mboya Wood and Odinga Lumumba are recognizing that the youths need to be guided to pick up stethoscopes and scalpels to heal instead of guns and knives to hurt their fellow human, and they are making no compromises to the doomsayers and hatemongers who do not care if the youths of the land self-destruct to satisfy the egomania of a power-drunk few, recognizing that political directives will not heal the social ills in communities and bridge the breaches in the nation. That they are succeeding majorly is evident from the proactive engagements by youths under ACDA’s guidance.
Dr. Esan Reid and his siblings have combined the values imparted to them by their parents, the opportunities provided by the government, and have chosen to reach for the stars. Today their future – individually and collectively are secure and assured, with the sky their limit to optimal personal achievement.