By Francis Quamina Farrier

AS Guyana joins with many other countries around the world observing and celebrating Father’s Day 2021, we take the opportunity to throw the spotlight on one particularly exemplary father, Lawrence Lachmansingh. He is the father of three daughters; Hanan, Leah and Adriel. Lawrence Lachmansingh who is also well-known and highly respected in the Guyanese society can be described as a loving and hands-on father who ensures that his daughters are given the best in education and, with his wife Shianne, parental caring and guidance. Born at Port Mourant on the Corentyne Coast, Region Six, Lachmansingh grew up at Linden in Regon10. Reflecting on those formative years in the bauxite mining town, he referred to the pleasant comradery of the bauxite workers of various races. While his early education was at McKenzie, Lachmansing attended the Saint Stanislaus College in Georgetown for his secondary education.

His principal working years were spent with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). That took him to many countries around the world, which includes Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cyprus, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the USA. Some of those were ether brief visits or short postings, which nonetheless, were “Very taxing having to leave the children behind.” he said. However, there were two postings, where he served for periods of over two years, and where he had his family with him. Those postings were in Ghana and Indonesia. Asked about the effects on his growing children being in such far-away places with such different cultures to Guyana, Lachmansingh said, “It was an issue with them leaving their friends in Guyana, and equally hostile when they had to leave their friends in Ghana and in Indonesia.” What is of note which he said with a measure of fatherly pride was, “My daughters have kept in touch with those friends in both countries to this day.”

It is also of note to mention that while in Ghana, Lachmansingh saved a young man who was drowning in a river. The young man was pulled out of the water by Lachmansingh and they have kept in touch ever since. That young man who is now the Manager of a Barclays Bank in Ghana, has since been married and is now a father himself.

Lachmansingh has been back and working here in his native Guyana for a number of years now, and has been very active with governance issues and projects. He is a member of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and is also National Forest Governance Facilitator.
Hard-working citizen and proud father of three daughters, we salute Lawrence Lachmansingh as one of Guyana’s exemplary fathers.