Guyanese woman makes significant mark in the UK

Feb 03, 2013 News

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By Rehanna Ramsay

With a humble beginning in Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, just a stone’s throw from the backdoor of the Methodist Church, Alift Harewood nee Allman defied social, economic and ethnic odds to become the first black Mayor of Macclesfield, a small town in the City of Manchester in the borough of Cheshire.
Growing up in the small West Coast of Demerara community,  Alift Allman started school at the tender age of three. She would accompany older children to Edin Franklin‘s kindergarten school which was held in the front room of her small house.
Education was a must for the Allman family, under the care of her aunt Leonora Allman also known as “Mama Nora.” Young Alift attended St.  John‘s Anglican school, then Stewartville Congregational school where she won a scholarship to Tutorial High School. There, she wrote the Junior Cambridge examination. However due to social and financial constraints, Alift was forced to leave school before completing the senior Cambridge examination.
Despite her current circumstances, Alift now 19 years old knew that she wanted to do something meaningful with her life.  She loved books, reading, spelling and poetry, hence her vocabulary developed widely and consequently in comparison to her peers she was well spoken which was not customary for a girl her age, living in the “countryside.”
As such other teenagers would often separate themselves from her labeling her “Miss Prim and Proper.” Some even avoided her because of her appearance. They said that she looked like a boy.

Alift decided to venture into the field of nursing.  She thought it best to battle out on her own since it would have been financially difficult for her aunt Leonora to support her, being a single parent, having a few children of her own to care for.
In 1954, Alift applied for nursing position at then Leonora Estate Hospital. However another challenge presented itself.  Having been a successful applicant, the young woman was invited for an official interview but could not go to the meeting because she didn’t have a suitable dress for the occasion.
One might imagine the immense anticipation that teenaged Alift may have been through at a time when neither telephones nor power of technology via computers was existent, what it must have been like for her to receive that telegram.
How ecstatic young Alift may have been at the receipt of the mail and how that excitement all ended when she realized that she didn’t have the dress to suit the occasion. However crushed at the circumstances, she remained optimistic of the other possibilities. Thus Alift applied for a nursing job, once more but this time to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Some time after she applied to the institution, while walking along the road, Alift met a kind old gentleman, Mr. George Todd, who told her that her name was published in the daily newspapers as a successful candidate to join the nursing profession.   Alift confirmed the news after reading a copy of the publication.
The aspiring nurse left for Georgetown with merely half the money needed to travel to the City.  That day, she sat a theoretical examination and returned to West Demerara via the ferry service. Upon arrival at Vreed –en- Hoop, Alift walked to Anna Catherina.
Alift began her lifelong career as a nurse at the Georgetown Public Hospital in January 17, 1956 under the first Afro-Guyanese Matron, Irma Primus.   She loved her job hence her promotion to staff nurse/midwife in 1964, she even worked at the Palms.
Alift moved to Georgetown, met and married her first husband, Roy Basil Harewood, a reporter.  The union produced four children Basil, Courtney, Robert and Christopher Harewood, all of whom have success stories of their own.

The Pre Independence era, which resulted in constant riots and political unrest throughout Guyana, prompted Alift Harewood and several other healthcare workers to migrate.  Alift travelled to England to continue her training as a nurse with plans of returning to Guyana with additional qualification, and equipped for managerial position in the field.
Thus Alift headed for London, leaving her husband and four children behind.  In 1969, three months before she completed her training life took a turn. Alift received the dreadful news that her husband had passed away. The woman, now a registered nurse in Great Britain returned to her country with the hope of reclaiming her old job in the local workforce.
However after her attempts failed, her brother Vincent Allman persuaded her to return to England.  A distraught and confused Alift heeded her brother‘s advice and headed for England with her children.
After several years in the nursing profession, Alift, who sees age as just a number, decided to continue her education. She attended the Manchester Metropolitan University where she graduated with honours achieving her Bachelors of Arts (BA) in social sciences. It was during this period that Alift developed an interest in politics. Thus she returned to the University to acquire her Masters in political science.
Alift has a degree in contemporary theater from Leeds University.  She was honored as an outstanding student and awarded back in 2012, from Arden School of Theatre. In 2007 Alift received the Woman of the Year award and the Honorary Alderman Life achievement award in 2009.
After graduating achieving g her political education, Alift Harewood was elected a councilor of Macclesfield. She was elected Deputy Mayor of town and in 2011; she was reelected for the post.

While serving as a Deputy Mayor in 2009,  the woman returned to Guyana where she paid cordial visits to the Mayor of Georgetown, the Palms, the Georgetown Public Hospital, Tutorial High School and Stewartville Primary School where she gave a motivational speech to the students.
On May 24, 2012 after residing for over 40 years in Maccasfield Alift  Harewood was finally elected Mayor of the City.  Now 79 years old Harewood recently wed her second husband, Peter Jones, a British psychologist.
Harewood also plays an active role in the Methodist church she attends, sings alto in the choir, loves performing arts and plans to be cast in a play.
She accredits her success to her humble beginning as well as to her foundation of learning and is eternally grateful to her Primary school teacher Irad Doplin.

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