ACROSS the East Bank corridor, the name Dr Hamwantie Nauth drifts easily into conversations with farmers, spoken with warmth, relief, and deep respect. To many livestock owners, Dr Nauth is more than a veterinary officer; she is the steady reassurance they crave when an animal falls ill.
Petite, soft-spoken, and humble in every sense, she arrives at farms at dawn, midday, or long into the night, moving with the quiet confidence of someone who knows that her presence alone can calm fear.

Farmers often say she is “just a phone call away,” and time after time, she proves them right.
Her journey to this life of selfless service began far from the farms she now frequents. Raised in West Ruimveldt before her family moved to Grove on the East Bank, she excelled academically at West Ruimveldt Primary and later at St Joseph High School, where she passed all eight of her CXC subjects.
After applying to the University of Guyana (UG) and waiting for the January intake, she sought employment to help her parents, who had taken a loan to complete their new home.
That search led her to the late Mr Majeed Hussain, who, after reviewing her qualifications, offered her not a job but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a scholarship to study veterinary medicine in Cuba.
With her mother’s full support, she embarked on a six-year academic odyssey at La Universidad de Granma in Bayamo.
The early months were daunting. She struggled to master Spanish and wrestled with a deeper uncertainty, having once dreamt of becoming a medical doctor.
But when she signed her Public Service Ministry (PSM) contract and saw the words “Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics,” she recognised that her life had shifted.
What felt unexpected at first later unfolded into a purpose she now embraces wholeheartedly.
When Dr Nauth returned to Guyana in 2010, she began her professional journey in central Georgetown before being transferred to Region Six, where she served communities across the Upper Corentyne.

Today, she serves Region Four along the East Bank corridor, carrying out a wide range of duties—from farm visits and surveillance to ante-mortem inspections, hatchery vaccination oversight, and even providing evidence in animal cruelty cases.
To her, the work extends far beyond treating sick animals. It is, she says, about food safety, protecting livelihoods, and helping farmers navigate challenges such as high mortality in broiler production.
Her dedication to self-improvement matches her commitment to farmers. Over the years, she has undertaken several international trainings, including veterinary epidemiology in poultry in São Paulo, surveillance and preparedness for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Brazil, and advanced courses in avian diseases and health management in Hessarghatta, India.
These trainings, she admits, are essential because one of her most difficult professional moments is standing before a farmer without an immediate solution.
Still, she never allows that discomfort to halt her; instead, it fuels her commitment to continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
She deeply values farmers’ own experience, believing that the best outcomes arise when traditional knowledge and modern veterinary medicine meet.
Dr Nauth’s compassion extends beyond her official duties. She often mentors secondary school students with their SBA practical components and assists primary learners with Spanish—a gesture she considers part of giving back to her community.
Despite the long hours and emotionally demanding nature of her work, she remains grounded. She admits that the tasks can sometimes be overwhelming, but she is deeply grateful for the support of her colleagues and the astute leadership of the GLDA, headed by Chief Executive Officer, Dr Dwight Walrond.
Beyond her official duties, there is a tender, personal side to Dr Nauth that emerges when she speaks about her family.
Her eyes brighten when she mentions her younger brother. “My brother, Somesh Nauth, is like my grown baby,” she says fondly.
“Since I returned in 2010, I’ve watched his metamorphosis.” Somesh recently excelled at CXC, earning all 12 subjects, and is now pursuing a degree in computer science—a journey that fills her with immense pride.
This bond grounds her, much like her admiration for her mother, a single parent who supported her endlessly during her years in Cuba and every chapter thereafter.
“My mother is my foundation,” she says. “Everything I am is because she never lets me fall.”
Despite the intensity of her work, Dr Nauth remains unpretentious and refreshingly relatable. She laughs at herself when she talks about the culinary challenges she is still trying to master or her ongoing attempts to keep up with fast-changing fashion trends.
Her colleagues often tease her for being meticulous, both in her professional duties and in her efforts to learn these everyday skills.
She is also deeply optimistic about Guyana’s agricultural future. Dr Nauth strongly believes the PPP/C Government’s current agricultural policies create meaningful, lucrative opportunities for youth and women.
While the early stages of agricultural ventures can feel tedious, she notes that this is one of the best times to get involved in farming.
Access to improved genetics, advanced technology, better support services, and institutions such as the new agricultural development bank makes getting started and staying afloat more achievable than ever before.
From the farms of the East Bank to Guyana’s wider agricultural landscape, Dr Nauth has built her life on service, resilience, and quiet courage.
She moves through her days without fanfare, never seeking recognition, and yet her impact reverberates in every community she touches.
A petite, soft-spoken lioness, she embodies a kind of strength that does not roar but instead arrives calmly, shows up faithfully, and gets the work done over and over again.