Animal activist and budding attorney, Doneeta Ramlakhan, is a ‘Special Person’

Feb 14, 2021 Features / Columnists, News, Special Person

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Helping to right societal wrongs…

By Malisa Playter-Harry

Kaieteur News – Some people are of the view that humankind does not deserve the gift of animals since many are incapable of fathoming their love, loyalty and faithfulness. Animal activist, Doneeta Varsha Ramlakhan, is one such person. One can say that her love for animals is unique in its depth, and although she has a busy schedule, she is never too tired or too taxed to help an animal that requires in some way, a helping hand.
With many animal rights activists and organizations across the globe, it comes as no surprise that Guyana is home to quite a few who have been stepping up to the plate and are doing what is necessary to help safeguard animals too.

Born on the 29th July 1994 to modest parents, Sandra, well known as the coconut oil lady, and Vishnu, a fisherman, Doneeta grew up in the vibrant village of Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara. The eldest of two siblings, she attended the Enmore/Hope Primary School then the Swami Purnananda Secondary School before heading to the Hope Secondary School. Eager to further her education, Doneeta completed Sixth Form at President’s College and subsequently completed two diplomas through the Institute of Commercial Management. Still hungry for more, the academically driven 27-year-old is currently pursuing a law degree at the University of London through the Nations University.
Professional life and love for animals
Doneeta, who is currently employed as a Fuel Inspector at the Guyana Energy Agency, said that from the tender age of eight, she knew she wanted to become an attorney-at-law. She added that while it is a dream that she is currently working towards, she would continue to serve in her current capacity as she pursues her law studies.

“Because of my family’s financial constraints, it is necessary for me to keep my job. It will definitely take me longer to achieve my dream, but I am determined to get it done,” she stated. Doneeta, who is also known as Varsha, posited that for as long as she could remember she has had an interest in animals and developed a profound love for them and wanted to help in any way that she could. It is one of the reasons, she said, she decided to pursue studies in law.
“Currently, we have persons brutalizing animals, forcing horses and donkeys to work in harsh conditions without proper food and water. Some are forced to pull carts that are so heavy, they sometimes collapse and die. There was one case where a pregnant horse was forced to work, she collapsed and gave birth on the road with the cart still attached. Both mom and foal died. All the owner did was to remove his cart and left them on the road,” she recalled.
“Most of the cruelty reports investigated by animal activists are sometimes never addressed in our courts. The man, from Berbice, who tied a dog to his car trunk and dragged it to its death, was sent home after making an apology. These are just two examples of the cruelty meted out to these sentient beings. I plan to use my voice to represent these animals as best I can, I plan to advocate for harsher penalties and stricter laws that will safeguard all animals in Guyana,” she passionately added.
The budding lawyer noted that her goal is to represent animals that are tortured or ill-treated at the hands of human beings. She said too that her services would be provided pro bono to vulnerable persons.

FUELLED BY DESIRE
“My love for animals is what fuelled my desire to pursue my chosen field of study, hence turning my passion into my profession,” she noted.
The animal lover recalled that throughout her life, she has witnessed cruelty in all forms meted out to animals and during her childhood, she always wanted to be the one to rescue them from the pain they were going through. “Whenever I would see these animals on the road being abused, standing in the rain, searching for food in the hot sun, etc… it broke my heart because there wasn’t much I could do other than give a little of my food or snacks to them,” she recalled. However, when she turned 16, Doneeta said she began rescuing stray pups and dogs and feeding one stray cat everyday to it heart’s content. She said eventually she had an entire family of dogs that visited her home for their daily munching. However, although it filled her with much joy, it became difficult taking care of so many animals since she simply could not afford to provide proper meals for them all, since she had financial constraints at home.
“Whenever I feed these animals, I feel so happy and accomplished that I at least did a good deed for the day. I can never stop rescuing and fostering animals because it’s a part of me. My love for God’s creation is selfless and I cannot ignore a suffering animal that needs help. I may not be able to save all, but those that I did are truly the lucky ones. I cannot begin to imagine what some go through that I do not know about,” Doneeta noted.

JOINING FORCES
It was because of her interest in animals that she jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the “Tails of Hope-ARAPS,” a non-governmental organization that was formed in 2019. She is presently serving as an executive member for the spray/neuter campaigns and vaccination drives.
With 10 years of rescuing, fostering and re-homing animals, the ARAPS member said she will continue to provide her services to Guyana because the “animals need me.” She added that migrating is not on her list of things to do since she has a profound love for her country and is eager to provide services in Guyana as an activist. She opined, however, that there aren’t enough animal activists who are “bold enough to speak out to some of these abusers and my heart is in the right place.” She stressed that the work that she does is “very important” because the animals depend on her for food, love and care.
“It is also important to other people who love animals but cannot volunteer or offer any help for various reasons…at the end of the day I am the voice for the voiceless. I can tell you this much that when I look into the eyes of an abused dog, I can feel a pain piercing through my heart. I cry many days and nights for the ones that died brutally and the ones that couldn’t make it. They need me and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said the passionate animal lover.
To say that she did it on her own, without the guidance and push of others, would be far from the truth. The aspiring lawyer credits her influence to other influential women in society. According to Doneeta, her late grandmother, Dharnie Ramlakhan known as Aunty Baby, with whom she grew up, and fellow ARAPS members Mellissa Ramdeen and Shari Rodrigues, were some of the women who influenced her to become the woman she is today.
“From the time I have known these women, my entire life has changed. I have been able to think clearer and not to react to situations on the first go but to look and analyze from more than one angle before drawing my conclusion. I have been able to overcome situations and ignore those who have continued to sideline me and my work,” Ramlakhan added.

ALWAYS RESILIENT
As the career driven-animal activist continues to make a positive impact on a society that sometimes has its cruel side, the young woman with a vision has noted that her greatest achievement to date was the ability to get back up when life had kicked her to the curb.
“At a very tender age my mom and dad were separated. My dad committed a crime and was sent to prison and my mom had to care for my brother and me. Not having our own house posed a major challenge for my mom and she made the difficult decision to choose between me and my brother. She chose my brother since he was much younger. Luckily, my grandmother agreed to take me in and send me to school,” she shared.
“Times were tough for grandma and I had to start working and earning since I was eight years old. I have never stopped. It is my desire to succeed and to have a better life… that is what kept me going and continues to keep me striving for greater things. I stayed in school, studied as hard as I could and here I am today, still working and studying, on the road to becoming a lawyer,” said Doneeta with pride.
For her, life has taught her a valuable lesson and that is that “change is only constant and with determination, prayers and hard work, anything is possible.”
While her life has had its dark clouds, Doneeta found the beam that continues to light her path. She believes that her life experiences have moulded her into the resilient being she is today. As such, she wants people to keep on dreaming and keep believing in themselves, despite the circumstances they face. “You are unique, you are one of a kind and you are made in the image of the Almighty,” is a notion that our ‘Special Person’ embraces each day of her life.

 

 

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