Young Field Officer passionate about her career

WE often hear about renowned and successful personalities from various regions across our beautiful country.

The Pepperpot Magazine sat down with Shakira Yipsam, a Field Officer attached to the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, who hails from the village of Aruka sub–district in Barima-Waini, Region One.

“I am a member of the drone unit and will be responsible for monitoring the mangrove forests in the Barima-Mora Passage and providing the relevant agencies with the necessary footage to take corrective actions if necessary,” Yipsam told the Pepperpot Magazine.

Yipsam also revealed that she is responsible for capturing local photographs and videos of activities occurring in and around her community and sharing them on social media platforms.
The Field Officer further noted that she works with Vianne Frens from the Morawhanna community. She is also a member of the Barima Mora Drone unit, responsible for monitoring the mangrove forests in the Barima-Mora Passage and providing the relevant agencies

How did she begin her career?
“I was a High School graduate, and after graduating, I was working as a CSO in my community and then the opportunity came along to do Drone Training. So, I took the opportunity with Conservation Society, and then I ventured off to do other training, including forest training, but I particularly love the drone, and I am currently the team leader right now,” Yipsam told Pepperpot Magazine.

According to Yipsam, as a team leader, it is quite an exciting job, being able to train other persons in the operation of drones.

“Being the first person in the family to launch into this career and my parents are extremely proud of me,” she explained. “A lot of persons are looking up to me. My family are all proud of me, so it is something that I want to continue doing,” Yipsam told the Pepperpot Magazine.

She is excited, because the group that she is in is moving to do underwater drone training, which is the next level of training undertaken by the Guyana Marine Conservation Society.
Yipsam, Sarah Singh, and others have embarked on a venture to train young persons, particularly girls, in the drones in primary schools in the Barima Mora Passage area.

The training is being done to raise awareness of the valuable natural resources of the Barima-Mora Passage, especially the mangroves, birds, mammals, fishes, and crabs.
According to Yipsam, this is a career that she would like to do and move on to an advanced career in technology in drone training.

“ This is something I would love to do and move on to more advanced technology in drones. I would like to move more and utilise my skills in doing documentaries, footage and images to other organisations and companies that will make full usage of it ,” the young field officer told this magazine.
The Guyana Marine Conservation Society, which has commenced a training exercise for its marine scientists to learn to pilot drones properly, is now planning to extend this initiative to six Indigenous girls who recently graduated secondary school in Region One (Barima-Waini).

According to Yipsam, Guyana’s largest intact mangrove ecosystem is found at the Barima- Mora passage in Region One. Efforts are being made to establish this site as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Importantly, too, it is expected that this project will eventually be expanded to other young women in other parts of Guyana to aid in similar environmental monitoring activities.