By Naomi Marshall
Lindeners and politicians gathered on Thursday at the Christianburg Community Centre Ground to bid farewell to Douglas Gittens, the powerful Vice Chairman of Region 10, who was killed by the dreaded Coronavirus diseases.
The 38-year-old who was the only child of his mother, Ena Gittens, died on June 13,2021 due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Giving tribute on behalf of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) was Vice Chairman of PNCR, Annette Ferguson who recalled Gittens demonstrating commitment, and loyalty to party over the years.
“He served selflessly, and whenever called to service, always exemplified readiness and willingness to go beyond the call of duty,” Ferguson stated.
Regional Chairman of Region 10, Deron Adams stated that Gittens has left a notable impact on everyone that met him.
“Douglas Charles Gittens left a memorable impact on everyone he came into contact with…always eager to be considered a man of the people. Always preferring the company of the average resident. Always quick to engage you in a gaff. Always ready and willing to discuss ways and means of improving mutually in any area,” Adams said
He addex:, “his work and enthusiasm on the campaign trail, in ordinary party outreaches and in every other aspect of activities organised by the PNCR in Region 10 will be sorely missed”.
While reading the Eulogy, Haslyn Small, Principal of the Mackenzie High School and friend of Gittens, said that Gittens enjoyed life to the fullest.
“One might get the impression from the foregoing that Douglas’s life was all about studies, work and campaigning, but not so. He enjoyed life to the fullest. His mother is of the firm belief that he went to school more to play than anything else. While at one time he pursued cricket as one of his hobbies, his greater love was basketball and his true love was Football,” Small noted.
Gittens was born on May 25, 1982 in Linden, Region 10 and grew up with his mother and grandmother.
He attended the Watooka Day Primary School and then later went to the Mackenzie High School where he completed his secondary education. He was named ‘Best CAPE Student’ for Region 10 in 2000 upon successfully completing his Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations.
He got involved in politics in 2011 and has served as the Vice Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform, Linden branch; member of the Regional Democratic Tender Board, Chairman of Culture Youth and Sport Committee, Chairman of Agriculture Committee, and Chairman of Information Management Committee, Region 10.
Apart from politics, Gittens has been a teacher for the past 20 years at his alma mater, the Mackenzie High School and has been named the best CAPE teacher for at least three times at the school.
Gittens taught Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Sociology and History, Technical Drawing and Information Technology. His teaching career came to a pause in September 2020 when he was elected Vice Chairman of Region 10.
At the time of his passing, Gittens was a final year student at the University of Guyana where he was pursuing a Bachelor of Social Science Degree in International Relations.
Gittens was also working towards becoming the President of Guyana in the next two decades.
Also attending the funeral was, Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon; Regional Executive Officer of Region 10, Dwight John; Regional Member of Parliament, Devin Sear and Jermaine Figueira; Former Ministers under the APNU/AFC Coalition, Simona Broomes and Valerie Adams-Yearwood; Former Regional Chairman of Region 10, Sharma Solomon, and Former Regional Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon, Representative of PPP/C, Sherry Fyfe among others.
