They say a country’s greatest resource is its people, and Wayne Augusto Mann is a shining example of this. A successful tour guide with over a decade of hands-on experience, amongst other accomplishments, Mr. Mann has a passion for eco-tourism, nature, and environmental protection. Having lived and worked in Guyana, Brazil, and Germany, he speaks English, Portuguese, and German fluently.
Wayne Augusto Mann was born in Georgetown, Guyana, South America. His mother is of indigenous/European descent and his father, Afro-Guyanese. As a boy, Wayne’s mother traveled frequently between Georgetown and Region 9. As a result, the lad started his formal education at St. Ignatius Nursery in Region 9 but completed Primary School in Georgetown.
Wayne completed his first year of secondary education at North Georgetown Secondary School before fate stepped in and sent him on a lifelong adventure in the Rupununi and neighboring Brazil starting at the tender age of 11. That’s where his love for nature, tourism, and all things wild was ignited.
I remember that afternoon at the end of the first year of high school like it was yesterday. My dad came home and told me that Pilot Butch Savory, his good friend, was flying to Lethem the next day, and that I could take a ride with him. Little did I know that I would never return.
Wayne Augusto Mann
Wayne boarded the plane with Pilot Butch Savory at the tender age of 11, thinking he was going to spend only a holiday in Region 9, but he never returned to Georgetown. Landing at the Lethem airstrip, he made his way across the Takutu River to his relatives in Bonfim, Brazil. At that time, the Takutu River Bridge wasn’t built as yet, so he had to hitch a ride on a boat.
Arriving at his aunt’s home in Bonfim, Brazil, Wayne found his new home. His aunt subsequently enrolled Wayne at the school in Bonfim where he continued his Secondary Education in Brazil, becoming fluent in Portuguese in the process and being active in sports. But a distasteful incident with a teacher caused the young Mann to leave school and head for adventure in the Amazon jungles of Brazil. And that is where his passion for the wild was nurtured.
This is a funny story. I was 15 years old in school in Bonfim, Brazil. The teacher told the class that Abraham Lincoln was the first African-American president of the United States. When I refuted the idea, knowing that Lincoln was not African-American, things turned sour between the teacher and me. But it gets worse. He presented the question in a test, “who was the first African-American president of the United States?” I wrote on the paper, “there has been no African-American president in the United States to date.” He marked it wrong. And that was it. I left school.
Wayne Augusto Mann
At the tender age of 15, Wayne took the bus to Manaus where he worked in tourism before joining the World Wildlife Fund where he was promoted to travel to Germany. There, he got into a romantic relationship with a German woman with whom he shares a son. Wayne’s romantic partner returned to Guyana with him and they spent five years together.
Wayne’s first son whom he shares with his German partner was born in Georgetown at the same hospital where Wayne was born. Wayne relates that his German partner found the climate in Guyana a bit too hot for her liking. The couple’s plan was to return to Germany when their son was 5 years old so that the child could start attending school in Germany.
For a myriad of reasons, however, Wayne chose to remain in Guyana while his romantic partner returned with his son to Germany, causing their separation. Wayne says he maintains a cordial relationship with the mother of his child in Germany, and maintains frequent contact with his son. Some time after, Wayne, entered into a relationship with a young woman from the Rupununi, Jelissa Melville. The union produced one offspring, Erikka Mann. However, this relationship was also terminated a few years ago, and once again, Wayne Augusto Mann maintains a cordial relationship with the mother of his daughter.
After returning to Guyana from Germany, Wayne embarked on several ventures including transportation, restaurant, and tourism. But his greatest passion, he explains, is tourism, particularly eco-tourism. And he’s a strong advocate for environmental preservation.
Guyanese, especially those in the tourism industry, need to understand that what we have to offer, other countries also have to offer. And that’s why we have to do better. We have to give visitors a reason to choose Guyana, and that can be accomplished by improving our hospitality industry.
Wayne Augusto Mann
Wayne Augusto Mann is a direct descendant of the Roth dynasty. His great grandfather, Walter Roth, is one of the founders of the national museum and zoo in Georgetown, Guyana, South America. Wayne explains that his grandfather, Vincent Roth, helped to fuel his passion for nature and animals, and he proudly echoes his priceless advice, “Do not kill animals unless for food.”
You can get in touch with veteran tour guide, environmental protection advocate, and nature enthusiast, Wayne Augusto Mann through his Facebook Profile or on WhatsApp:
