PREPARATIONS are well underway for the fifth annual Christmas Fair to be hosted by the Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group (KMCRG) at Lethem next Saturday.The theme is “Celebrating nature’s gifts, using our skills and traditional knowledge.”

The venue is the Lethem Market and the event starts at 9 am.
The KMCRG and its annual Christmas Fair is supported by Conservation International-Guyana (CI-Guyana) through projects funded by donors such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/ Multi-Lateral Investment Fund (MIF) and the European Union (EU).
The KMCRG comprises community leaders from 11 Amerindian villages and 7 satellite communities in the recently designated Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA) in the Central and South Rupununi.
The fair provides space for producers, growers and craftspeople to sell their products, connect to and be part of, the wider Rupununi community, and meet new customers and start the process of building a strong relationship with them.

LOCALLY PRODUCED ITEMS
Individuals and groups from across the Rupununi Region are expected to have on display and for purchase preserved foods, cassava products, meat and fish,  snacks, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, handicraft and traditional Amerindian remedies.
The fair was first held in 2010 with the objective of raising the profile of local and indigenous knowledge and skills (with a focus on women) while providing access to markets for traditional and indigenous products.
CI- Guyana disclosed that the event is organised as a family and community- oriented activity which offers only locally produced items. To date this has attracted the interest of public and private sector stakeholders despite the long distances which have to be traveled to attend and participate.
The fair has also received tremendous support from agencies such as the Regional Democratic Council of Region 9, Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture IICA), New Guyana Marketing