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Stanley Egerton Cooke is a Special Person“Whatever I do, I do for the enhancement of others, and though rewards have come along the way, the greatest reward for me is being able to serve the less fortunate than myself.”By Mondale Smith Stanley Cooke states emphatically, “whatever I do, I do for the enhancement of others, and though rewards have come along the way, the greatest reward for me is being able to serve the less fortunate than myself.”And so it is with this 72-year-old father of three who lives alone, cooks for himself and does not like to depend on anyone, despite a total loss of sight.He is a stalwart for volunteerism and an example that life is not where one starts, but where one ends up based on faith, perseverance, determination and commitment to human service.As an early school-leaver, life for Mr. Cooke was by no means a walk in the park, but in his estimation, it has been worthwhile in terms of service to others.Stanley Cooke at the Human Rights workshop in Geneva, Switzerland.From his lot 68 Adelaide Street, Charlestown home he says based on his experiences thus far, he learnt and believes that “the good one does in life compensates that person in times of need.”Seeing himself as a devout Christian, in thought and word, he also is convinced that “he who is the great enabler of all noble things, the giver of all good things and whose generosity and ability to give resides light years beyond the stretch of human imagination, has granted me the requisite wherewithal to achieve all that I have and am associated with.”“Do not allow yourself to be drawn into the belief that there is no place for you in communities and societies in this world as a person with impairment. Keep your faith in God and continue to ask for his guidance and all will be well,” Mr. Cooke says.Stanley Cooke has had a good tenure of public service, and challenges that there is no one person who can justifiably accuse him of doing any wrong, of setting up people or witch-hunting. To date, wherever he goes, people whom he has encountered are eager to offer assistance without any prompting.“If John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in the United States can be involved in a productive and meaningful life at 72, why can’t I?” a smiling Mr. Cooke said.At his age, most people are retired, but this week’s ‘Special Person’,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, who constantly reminded me that he is totally blind, is the Vice President of the Caribbean Council for the Blind, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Eye Care Guyana, Manager of the Sustainable Development Fund of the African Cultural Development Association, a Director of the Guyana Partnership for Human Rights and the representative of the Guyana Blind Cricket Association on the Cricket Development Committee of the Guyana Cricket Board.Truly impressive, but what about the early days?Stanley Egerton Cooke, born on January 19, 1937, had his origin in Louisiana Village on the Essequibo Island of Leguan.The younger of two children (he has an older sister) for Patrick and Amanda Cooke, he was the average child whose boyhood days were mostly enjoyed playing cricket and games such as ‘Saul pass’ and ‘hide and seek’ with mischievousness occasionally leading him to steal fruits with a gang of boys.The product of an extended family, where his grandmother Kathlene Lyte-Leecock was the matriarch, he attended the Success Canadian Mission School with sights set on being a policeman, a postman or a sailor who could eventually become a captain. He reflected that those were the ‘well-to-do jobs’ of that period.Cooke never really imagined going beyond those pursuits, but from within there was a desire for more, and at age 14, he left school after attaining the Primary School Certificate (a school-leaving certificate) and attempted the Pupil-Teachers’ Appointment Examinations, but did not succeed.A young Cooke in his days as captain of the prison launchOpting for new horizons, he migrated to the interior at age 16, landing at Arawai, on the upper Essequibo River with a relative where for six months “it was tough work” on a timber grant.He then moved to work at Stampa Island owned by the then British Guyana Timbers as a ‘sawdust boy’ but owed to his commitment and consistency he eventually was transferred to the messenger’s post.In that work area he taught himself to type and learnt a few tips about being a clerk from his cousin, whom he eventually replaced.Mr. Cooke fondly recalled a busy period during his youth when he moved from Leguan to Wineperu, to Makouria and then to Georgetown.Being a fairly good cricketer in the ‘60s he went back to Leguan as a fast bowler through a request from District Commissioner, Pat Thierens, who formed a team in the community. There he worked as a boat hand on the District Commissioner’s launch Kulet and spent about six years in the community.During that period he got married, at age 26, and completed studies for a Harbour’s Licence in the field of navigation.Eventually he filled a vacancy for the Coxswain launch in the Mazaruni Prison’s Service Department where he manned three vessels.In October of 1966 while working as captain of the launch he decided to join the prison service as a probationary officer and in 1971 was eventually transferred to Georgetown.Back in the capital city, he worked around the prison yard. Eventually he was assigned the task of resuscitating the Credit Union and establishing the Consumer Co-operative. As manager he also established the snackette and resuscitated the credit union, both of which are still operational.Mr. Cooke said by some miracle he was assigned to the Prison Services head office as defacto personal assistant to the then Director of Prisons Mr Edwin France DSM.However trouble, as he put it, came for him, as he was assigned the task of resuscitating the education programme for prisoners – despite not having the requisite qualification – and became Tutor Organizer.He recounted that the idea of a probationary officer being elevated to the post of Tutor Organizer, which was parallel to the position of Assistant Superintendent of prisons, superseding about 350 officers, did not go down well.According to Mr. Cooke, more than 50 prison officers signed a letter to the Public Service Commission describing what they termed favouritism, and an anomaly that bordered on nepotism. But, he noted, no one in the service had a trained teacher’s certificate, which was required to do the job.Opportunity subsequently presented itself; he applied to pursue a diploma in social work on the advice of the Director of Prisons and was admitted to the University of Guyana.With special tutelage from the Prison director’s wife Lynette France, whom he praised, and others including some prison inmates, he passed the first year with distinction. Completing the second year he graduated with a distinction and was awarded a scholarship to complete a degree in social work at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. There he graduated with second class honours.Upon his return to Guyana, while officials wanted to keep him in the prison service, by creating a post of Supernumerary Deputy Director of Prisons, he opted for a position as National Coordinator of Co-operative Education in the Ministry of Higher Education, a post parallel to an Assistant Chief Education Officer.In that position he worked for a year then moved to the Guyana Rice Board as a trainee Manager, performing the duties of a personal assistant to the General Manager. Eventually, the Rice Board became defunct and was succeeded by the Guyana Rice Milling & Marketing Authority where he functioned as the divisional manager for planning and monitoring.During his stint he became the first corporate secretary, liaising with lawyers on legal issues of the authority and was effectively in charge of all of its assets.LOSS OF VISION BUT NEVER LOSING SIGHTIn 1988, as he was enjoying the prime of his employment years, serious vision impairment stepped in, causing him to seek release from the job on medical grounds. This was granted in October 1989.Depressed, he went home, but then decided to focus his skills and abilities on national development, through encouragement of friends, particularly Derrick Cummings, Violet Jean-Baptiste and Norman Paul.Remembering their words he entered the voluntary arena at the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) in its embryonic stages and remains an integral part of the organization.As the administrator of ACDA he was one of a group that started the Centre of Learning and Afro-Centric Orientation, COLAACO, which today is still operational.Around 2001, there was support from Rachael Hibbins, the country manager of the Caribbean Council for the Blind (CCB), to form the Guyana Association of the Visually Impaired, an organization for the needs of the visually impaired and blind persons, with affiliation to the CCB.Between 2003 and 2005, the Caribbean Council for the Blind set up Eye Care Guyana, a subsidiary, and a board of trustees was put together, and Mr. Cooke was appointed Chairman of that Board, a position which he holds until now.As one of its representatives to the CCB’s Biennial general meeting in Barbados in August 2005, Mr. Cooke was elected as chairman of the South-eastern Zone of the council for the blind, where he served for two years.At the forum he was also mandated by the council to introduce Blind Cricket in Guyana, and received tremendous support from Chetram Singh, GCB president, Colin Stuart, Territorial Dev. Officer, Mark Harper, Terry Pembleton and Charles Van Dyke, among others.He said that assignment to many seemed impossible at that time, but was successfully discharged and today blind cricketers from Guyana have played tournaments in the region, while some of the locals have played as part of the West Indies team, most notably in Pakistan.Guyana is hosting the fourth regional West Indies Blind Cricket tournament from July 19-26, the opening ceremony of which was held yesterday at the Umana Yana.At another Biennial general meeting in 2007, in the Bahamas, he was elected Second Vice President for the CCB, a designation which he still holds.In 2007 he was selected to attend a successor workshop sponsored by the UNDP and Guyana Government, in Geneva, Switzerland, to establish a human rights organization in partnership with the State. And coming out of that, the Guyana Partnership for Human Rights was established. He is one of the directors.Mr. Cooke opined that by leaning on his own understanding and acting in his own flesh, he would never have achieved the successes that have been associated with him.Contemplating, he said, “I accept that these are the last days of my life, and indeed the best days of my life, but notwithstanding visual impairment, if I had my life to live over, there are some things I’d want to do differently. I have few regrets but not serious enough to be significantly disturbed by.”