Not many people can boast of dedicating more than 25 years of their life towards rescuing and caring for animals while fiercely campaigning for legislative changes to better protect animals, but for Syeada Manbodh that is her calling, her passion and her life.
Syeada’s selfless service of providing care, medical treatment and rescuing animals, often at her own expenses, for over quarter of a century has earned her a spot among this year’s Medal of Service National Awardees. However, she explains that she was extremely afraid of animals while growing up after she witnessed a dog mauling her late brother.
Syeada was born in the town of Bartica and later moved to the City with her parents where she completed her High School education. She would then later move to Canada where she completed a two year technical course in Marketing and Accounting in Toronto.
The Animal Rights Activist returned home in 1993 where she met a South African woman named Nicole Fitzsimmons that helped her to overcome her fear of animals and that is when she began campaigning and serving them. Fitzsimmons would later return to her home country and Syeada was left with this new passion of helping animals such as dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, anteaters, parrots and birds.
She currently runs a Bed and Breakfast, which helps finance her volunteer work but explains that over the year she would have formed bonds with a number of people who contribute to her work in whatever way they can.
“However, over the years I have met many awesome people who were helping or wanted to help animals in need. These animal angels reside mainly in the Georgetown area but several live in other towns. That allows us to reach out and have a bigger impact on more animals, both domestic and wildlife,” Syeada notes.
“The problem of “poor care for our animals” is huge, so there is no way even 100 or 500 of us could give all the animals the care they deserve. We need to strive to make people in general more accountable. If you own an animal it is your responsibility to provide care, freedom and love. That includes having your animals spayed or neutered so they do not over produce and create more problems. Animal owners must become part of the solution and not add to the problems,” she says.
Syeada is not married and have no human children but her five female rescue dogs are her everything thing and plays the role of her children. For her there is never a balance when serving animals because they are voiceless and sees herself as their voice. She says because of that is obligated to respond to their needs regardless of the time of day or night.
When asked about how she feels receiving this awards, she said while it is a complete shock, it is not about her rather it is a recognition of everyone on the frontlines of helping animals especially the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) “who is doing an amazing job with spaying, rehoming and accepting all cats and dog going into the shelters.”
Syeada is currently working with a small group on a project to improve the animal enclosures at the Guyana Zoo since she enjoys working with the Zoo employees and supervisors. She is also thrilled that government has recognized the importance of animals and hopes they follow up with more and greater efforts to protect all the animals.
“There should be zero tolerance for abuses to all animals including wildlife such as Iguanas, parrots, monkeys, sloths and turtles being sold along our roadways. I would like to see a total ban on the wildlife trade.” (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
