Rawle Andre Dundas, born in Guyana on October 28th, 1965, shares his life story as a pastor’s kid, flight attendant, and husband with 5 children.  His full name, Rawle Andre Dundas, includes the French name Andre, meaning “manly,” he is particular about accentuating the E. Throughout his professional life, he predominantly uses the name Rawle. In more personal settings, particularly from primary school and growing up, he is affectionately called Andy by those who know him well, whether from church or childhood. His father is Rufus Leon Dundas (88) and his mother was Hycinth Dundas. He recently realized that he may have relatives in Suriname when someone bearing his mother’s maiden name, Pickering, reached out to him. Rawle was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and lived there.

Rawle Andre Dundas has had the opportunity to travel around the world as part of his first job where he served as a flight attendant from 1984 to 1997 on board the national airline. While working, he also pursued his education, growing up before entering the Adult world. Rawle was deeply involved in church activities, being the child of a former pastor. He actively participated in youth leadership from his teenage years and held the position of head prefect at his high school. A reserved individual by nature, Rawle is quick to step in and help when there is a need or opportunity. Rawle has a happy marriage with his wife, who is in the US while he resides in Guyana. They plan to establish a base and retirement platform in Guyana within the next two years. Despite the distance, they maintain frequent communication and travel back and forth. Rawle, also known as Andy, has four children and one stepchild from his wife. Rawle has siblings and is the second one of four children. His older brother is Leon and he is currently residing in the UK. After a year Rawle came along,  Then there’s Denise Bonita, the only girl in the crew and the last sibling is also a boy. Around 2015, they established a family WhatsApp group to stay connected because his brother initially resided in Jamaica, and his younger brother was in Canada. With family members spread across the USA, Grenada, and the UK, they would often visit each other every year or every other year. While they conversed every week, the primary purpose was to foster good communication and maintain strong family ties. Growing up as pastor’s children, many of their activities revolved around the church. With two services on Sunday, occasional Sunday afternoon events, Wednesday and Friday church services, and Saturday visitations, their schedule was quite busy. Despite the church-centered lifestyle, their parents ensured they had a social life, allowing them to engage in sports like cricket, badminton, athletics, and some football.

Rawle did not pursue music, but his siblings were musically inclined, with one playing the drums and the others excelling in singing and playing instruments. Family gatherings and activities were common during holidays, creating a strong feeling of unity. As they grew older, Rawle developed a love for leadership and, despite not being very outgoing, he would step in when he saw a need. At the age of 17 or 18, he became the vice president of the Youth Society for the country’s churches, leading to a significant trip to Mexico in 1983. This international experience exposed him to different cultures and perspectives, fostering friendships with people from around the World. To fund the trip, Rawle’s group organized various activities, including grass-cutting, selling secondhand clothes, holding fundraisers, and organizing a concert. The experience not only enriched his life but also taught him valuable skills in planning, project management, and independence at a young age. Despite a tempting proposal to stay in the US during the return journey, Rawle’s commitment to his promise and responsibility to bring back what he learned led him back to Guyana to serve the church. This experience marked a transition out of high school and into the World of work, providing important lessons that shaped his life. Rawle and his team did not have the word “entrepreneurship” back then. However, as he discusses entrepreneurship now, it becomes apparent that they were entrepreneurs at that time. They did not receive sponsorship from churches, banks, or large organizations. Instead, they had to find a way to generate the necessary funds. Rawle and his team engaged in sales, particularly clothing and food, successfully raising the money required to independently travel to Mexico.

In the realm of academics and extracurricular activities, Rawle reflects on his experiences, carefully choosing the term to convey that it wasn’t just about fun but also involved significant learning. With a mother who was a teacher, emphasis was placed on completing tasks diligently, striving for excellence, and excelling in school. Primary school, covering grades one to five, proved relatively easy for him, who emerged as a top performer. Transitioning to high school brought new opportunities, sparking excitement about involvement in drama, class leadership, athletics, and even joining the first boys’ choir in the school. Throughout high school, Rawle actively participated in class and house leadership, showcasing his versatility. In the highest level, sixth form, he was elected as the school’s head prefect, indicating his successful engagement in leadership roles. Despite not always performing at the highest level academically throughout high school, Rawle learned valuable lessons. In one term, he did not perform well due to a lack of focus, but the experience taught him the importance of applying oneself. Realizing the need for focus and effort, he bounced back and succeeded in subsequent years. This taught him the crucial lesson that results don’t happen automatically; one must work toward them with dedication.

His Impact

“If it has got to be, it is up to me”, that means that the success of everything that I do is up to me. Rawle also used the quote of Eleanor Roosevelt, which says “No one can make you upset without your permission”. No matter what, things will always happen to us in life. Friends, family members, and colleagues may say or do things that can affect us initially. They might express things that make us not feel comfortable about it, but we must not allow them to make us unhappy. We can manage our emotions and our feelings and then choose wisely, knowing that the result we are looking for is up to us. Instead of taking too much time wielding self-pity, we can choose to be different. Choose to not be negatively impacted by what people say or do around you, but choose to be the one who makes the difference. You have to love yourself and first know who you are. You decide what is going to happen to you next by what you determine in your mindset.