The love for volunteerism and humanitarian work has propelled Ewin Enmore, 39, into becoming an administrator with the Guyana Red Cross Society (GRCS) and the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG). It is a love that he has been trying to instill in others.

“One of the biggest challenges in the GRCS and the PYARG is getting people to understand the value of volunteerism and volunteering. I thought this was local but it is actually a global problem. Volunteerism has lost the humanitarian aspect and it is now more of a business type and looking for gains. That is not volunteerism. Volunteerism is giving of your time without seeking any personal or financial gains,” he said.

In an interview with Stabroek Weekend, Enmore noted when there is a call for volunteers, males do not respond.

“They tend to think it’s all about nursing and females. Me, being there, has influenced some men to volunteer. Taking up the leadership shows other men that it is not something to be macho about. Nursing is only one aspect and it is not limited to women. We have to deal with information technology, disaster response, logistics and other areas that anyone can get involved in. I… have influenced a few males to join the organisation and they did well for themselves in gaining employment both locally and internationally.”

Enmore spent his early childhood in Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast, climbing trees and swimming in the trenches and the sea. An only child for his mother, he had his primary education at Fisher Primary and Sacred Heart Primary before attending Christ Church Secondary.

When moved to Georgetown his uncle took him to the learn-to-swim classes at Hotel Tower, where the swimming instructors saw some potential in him and recommended that he join a club and train at the Castellani Pool.

“I made (Guyana Teachers’ Union) nationals, took part in one Inter-Guiana Games but I did not like too much of sprints except in the butterfly stroke. I took an interest in open water swimming and competed at Maracas Bay in Trinidad and Tobago. Although I loved distance swimming, I hated swimming distances it in the pool.”

He gave up swimming at 18 years and opted to work.

As a secondary school work-study student, he was placed at Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) company at the Beterverwagting Central Office, where on completion of the stint he was given the opportunity to work with GT&T as a technician in the networking department. He subsequently became a customer service representative.

While he was a customer service representative, he became a youth member of the GRCS which opened many doors for him. He learnt first aid, disaster management, search and rescue, and helping persons living with HIV/AIDS.

“I fell in love with humanitarian work and helping people who were vulnerable. When I was about 20 or 21 years, I was asked if I wanted to be the president of the Red Cross Youth Group to push youth development and I took the opportunity. At that time, I was doing a diploma in youth development work through the Commonwealth Youth Programme and the University of Guyana.”

After two and a half years at GT&T, he took up the role as first aid coordinator with the GRCS.

“I enjoyed the role I played, giving first aid, understanding the whole medical aspect in emergencies in regular circumstances and in disasters. I worked with Red Cross from 2000 to 2006 across the different regions of Guyana and enjoying its beauty. We did a lot of work in Mabaruma and in Lethem.”

The 2005 flood was the biggest local disaster Enmore responded to and he saw firsthand the devastation the floods wreaked on communities and families. Taking relief, conducting education and training sessions and community development were all part of the recovery process in Region Four. The flood relief work also extended to Region Two.

He left the GRCS in late 2006 and joined the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), where he stayed for three years. He then returned to GRSC as a volunteer doing humanitarian work in which he found peace and joy, he said.

After leaving the GDF, he volunteered at the GRCS and taught swimming through the Dorado Speed Swim Club. With the GRCS, he was given further training in responding to disasters using information technology and telecommunications, inclusive of radio communications and networking with the International Federation of Red Cross and the regional intervention team, which is a group of experts in the Americas.

“Because of that training, I worked as a full time staffer with the GRCS in the recovery efforts of the 2010 Haitian earthquake. For the first week in Haiti, I could not find a word to define poverty. The disaster on the ground made the floods in Guyana look very, very minor. We had all the International Red Cross bodies working collaboratively and I worked with people from about 50 countries around the world over a three-month period. Knowing