Arawak language, culture to be preserved through IDB grant

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its Cultural Centre’s Cultural Development Programme, yesterday awarded a grant of US$6,000 to the Mainstay-Whyaka Village Council for a project aimed at preserving culture and language.
The name of the project is ‘Mainstreaming Cultural Diversity in the Livelihood of Residents of the Village of Mainstay Whyaka in Region Two.’ The objective of the project is to revitalise the cultural aspect in conjunction with other developmental activities taking place in the village.
The activities are constructing the lower flat of a multi-purpose hall to be used for cultural diversity training, and the re-introduction of the traditional Arawak language to youths who reside in Mainstay- Whyaka.
Speaking at the handing over of the grant, Representative of the IDB in Guyana, Marco Nicola, said he would like to congratulate Pearson for the good proposal.
“We know that this award will be quite beneficial to your community, not only in terms of social cohesion, but also in creating new ways of revenue [earning],” he said during the handing over at the IBD’s office on High Street, Kingston.
Acknowledging her appreciation to the IBD for the cheque, Pearson thanked the Representative for favourably considering the project proposal. “It is part of our dream coming true, because it is something that we looked at for a very long time, reviving our culture, preparing ourselves for ecotourism and looking at non-timber forest products which are in keeping with low carbon activities,” she said.
She said another part of the project is reviving the language of the Arawaks, which she said only a handful of people now speak on the coastal villages and in her community. “So here is where we are moving to bring someone from another village, which is Wakapao, to spend some time with us. So we are excited, we are very happy to have this project to revive our culture and this project is giving us this much needed opportunity,” Pearson said. She noted that there are not many projects addressing culture, “…and we need to have more projects addressing specifically culture.”
“On behalf of my community, I wish to say that we are grateful,” she said.
Nicola said that the IDB encourages communities to apply for the fund, because, although small, they really constitute one of the very few ways of the IDB to reach directly to communities without having to go through the normal channels. He said that it is a great way to reach the grassroots and the community.
The IDB said its Cultural Center is honoured to collaborate with the Mainstay-Whyaka Village Council in support of a worthy project “that will strengthen the development of artistic and cultural talent in Guyana.”
It said: “This year’s grant was awarded to a vibrant group…who is expected to ensure that the building is prepared and ready to accommodate as many youths as possible to teach them the Arawak language, Art and Craft.”
The IDB Cultural Center was created in 1992 to advance the concept of culture as an integral component to development. The Center has two objectives First, to contribute to social development by administering a grant programme for small-scale cultural projects in the Region with positive social impact, and to promote a better image of the IDB member countries, with emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean, through their cultural expressions.
Since the establishment of the IDB Cultural Center in 1992, ten institutions in Guyana have received the grant. Among these are the University of Guyana, the Ministry of Culture, Guyana Women’s Artists Association, Varqa Foundation, Dayspring Guidance Centre, Region 9 Development Association, Conservation International, the Arts Forum, the Guyana Teachers Union North Branch, and Guybernet.
The IDB said that the grant is awarded on a yearly basis and, “we at the IDB would like to encourage the submission of as many proposals as possible.”

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