50 ZiNG July - September 2009 INTERVIEW this Risée Chaderton Julian Armfield meets Dame " Auntie" Olga Lopes- Seale, the Guyanese- Barbadian humanitarian, broadcaster, journalist, and singer, who was once known as the " Vera Lynn of the Caribbean". A legend in her own lifetime, the 90- year- old still has her foot firmly on the pedal as she continues her relentless drive to care for the less fortunate children of Barbados I t is not every day that you meet a nonagerian who describes herself as " a recycled teenager". So, it was with some trepidation that I entered the modest little bungalow in Black Rock, on the outskirts of Bridgetown, Barbados to meet " Auntie Olga", probably the best- known and most- admired broadcaster in Caribbean radio history and founder of the Needy Children's Fund. But I am made to feel instantly at home by the great lady herself, who settles me into a comfortable rocking chair. A little delicate after a knee operation last December, she walks with the aid of a stick. But her brain is still razor sharp. " Never mind Dame, call me Auntie Olga," she insists. Her achievements are monumental, yet it quickly becomes clear that the term " self-importance" does not figure in Auntie Olga's dictionary. Her life has been dedicated not to her own betterment ( as is evidenced by the simple nature of the furniture and fittings in her house) but to caring for other people, notably the needy children of her birthplace Guyana and Barbados, her adopted country. Over the last 57 years, Auntie Olga's Needy Children Fund has provided assistance for thousands of Guyanese and Barbadian youngsters with school uniforms, shoes, school books, toys and money. Daily, her mailbox is crammed with letters from parents requesting help from the fund. But she does not let her obviously huge heart rule her head and personally visits each applicant's home before granting aid. " I look to see if there is genuine need. I can sense genuine poverty right away. This beggar is a chooser and nobody can pull the wool over my eyes." A tall and striking figure, she uses her sparkling blue eyes and strong but soothing voice to great effect, and makes her points with sweeping hand gestures. Her acute sense of humour reveals itself when she points out the countless framed awards which occupy almost every inch of counter and wall space. " That's my Dame of St. Andrew ( the female equivalent of Sir for a British Knighthood) certificate, next to the MBE ( Most Excellent order of the British Empire) while, over there, you can see the GCM ( Gold Crown of Merit). The only one that's missing is the RIP!" Clearly, that particular ' honour' is not an issue because Auntie Olga is overflowing with life and she talks with enormous passion as she answers my questions about how she has come to be a legend in her own lifetime. You were born the youngest of 9 children in Guyana in 1918. What sort of childhood did you have? My parents were descendants of Portugese immigrants from Madeira. Six of my siblings died before I was born and there beggar chooser ll is a

July - September 2009 ZiNG 51