Peter Ramrayka

Peter Ramrayka was born in what was then colonial British Guiana (now Guyana). The grandson of indentured Indian labourers, he was brought up to believe that, despite his Indian cultural heritage, Britain was, in fact, the ‘Mother Country’.

With a steely ambition to become a lawyer, he travelled to England in 1961 with the intention of returning ‘home’ once he had realised his dream. Fresh-faced and eager, he soon discovered that the ‘Mother Country’ was a place where people of colour faced discrimination and victimisation. The next 54 years would prove to be a voyage of discovery.

He joined the Royal Air Force as an option to both work and study. In this environment, he was largely shielded from overt discrimination and soon adopted British cultural values and ways of doing things. This solid grounding led to exciting and successful careers and endeavours: the National Health Service; the Magistracy; political activist; Mission Director of a flying teaching eye hospital; British Executive Service Overseas volunteer; and international healthcare management consultant to former British colonies.

Peter Ramrayka’s autobiography tells the story of his fateful journey from village life in British Guiana, and his fortitude to address and overcome the challenges of life in Britain and promote British values and systems abroad.

• 228 x 152 mm
• 268 pages
• Paperback