Indigenous activist Graham Atkinson knows the power of education

Graham Atkinson

When Graham Atkinson, of Santa Rosa, Moruca, dropped out of the government’s hinterland scholarship programme after the first term in second form at Central High School in Georgetown, it may not have looked like the likely start for a man who has worn many hats, including that of social activist, broadcaster and former deputy toshao.

“Obviously I was very sad and disappointed to leave school in Georgetown. I loved to read and there wasn’t a library in the village at a time. The school had limited books and the Roman Catholic church had set up a library sometime after. I missed the National Library where I used to go and read before going home,” Atkinson, 45, recalled.