–says husband of Lethem teacher who died of COVID-19

EVEN as he mourns the passing of his wife, Donna Ambrose-Greaves, who lost the battle against COVID-19 last Saturday, Franklin Greaves said he would always remember her fondly for her love of children and the teaching profession.

Even though she taught at the nursery level at the Arapaima Nursery School, Donna would often reach out to primary and secondary school students in her community and help them out in whatever way she could when they needed it.

“It started from helping our neighbours with getting information. The bigger kids;the CXC students for the longest she would help them with their SBAs whenever they needed to research something. We would be helping them for free for the longest while,” he said.

Donna first started teaching in 2011 at the Arapaima Nursery Annex. She would later study Early Childhood Education via a Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) Distant Learning Programme in Lethem, where she graduated at the top of her class.

A mother of one, her husband shared that her drive for teaching was fueled by her love of children.
“She had a love for children. After finishing off school, she went straight into teaching. She was always out there for her children; anywhere she goes, she was never out of teaching mode. Anywhere we go, the kids would always be crazy to see her,” her doting husband recalled. “The longest she has ever been away from her students is during this pandemic,” Franklin related.

He noted that being away from her students had taken a toll on the 25-year-old devoted teacher, but even while at home, she would reach out to students in need of help accessing the Internet. Her policy was, “No child should be left behind.”
“After school closed due to the pandemic,” Franklin recalled, “she would just say she misses her students, and that was her way of reaching out to the student to help during this time.”

Aside from reaching out to students, Franklin says his wife was also a pillar in her community; always having helpful advice to offer those in need, and was an anchor in her family.

“In the community, she was a figure that people looked up to, and took her advice. At the family level, she was like the family counsellor; persons would always come to her on relationship problems; domestic problems. They would always pour out to her,” Franklin said, adding:

“After a hard day’s work, she would be the one to stabilise the home. I didn’t do anything without her; whatever decision there was to make, I have to pass it through her; we have to discuss it for her to finalise it.”

Franklin said the Guyana Teachers Union issued a statement on Monday, conveying its condolences on Donna’s passing. Donna Greaves died last Saturday after spending almost a week in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Hers was the country’s 15th COVID-19-related death.
“The teaching fraternity and all Guyana mourns the passing of Ms. Donna Ambrose- Greaves of Region 9. Deepest condolences to the husband, child, other family members, colleagues and friends of Ms. Donna Ambrose Greaves,” the GTU statement said.

In the statement, the GTU took the opportunity to call on all teachers to take all necessary precaution in these trying times.
“GTU continues to ask teachers, and, by extension, all Guyanese to heed the medical protocols established by the MoPH to safeguard yourselves against the spread of this pandemic. The WHO and MoPH advisory states that the best precaution one can take is to “Stay Home”. We recognised that teachers have been going out to mingle in large gatherings, despite the advice given. We urge all Guyanese to consider your actions, because the consequences are severe not only for you, but your family, friends, learners and colleagues,” the Union said.