EVERY year leading up to the Easter Holidays, stalls with colourful displays of kites litter the junction at Camp and Regent Streets, manned by ‘kitemakers’ who have for years occupied this area to serve the Guyanese public. And while, for some, this may just be a seasonal means to an end, among these vendors exist others for whom the art of kitemaking is their passion.

“I think in my mother’s womb, I was probably making kites,” says Trevor Smith, who has, for the last 37 years, made Camp Street his place of work around this time of year.
Trevor started selling kites at the ripe age of 16, and has over the years dedicated his life to kitemaking in a bid to serve the Guyanese public “I consider myself the best ‘kite man’ in Guyana; I have the title of a grandmaster in making kites,” Trevor said, adding that he is well known for his handiwork, having been one of the longest standing kitemakers in that area.
“Easter is a national holiday, and the people in authority have seen my kite vending as an honest business; they see that I am a true patriotic citizen in the number of years I have been vending,” Trevor said, adding:
“So, I’ve sold kites to ministers, and I have established myself in this business. And I have become well known, because my duty is to serve the Guyanese public every year; that’s my job.”
As he stands proudly by his display of ‘star-point kites, Trevor’s pride in his work is apparent.
And while selling kites only lasts about two weeks every year, he attests that kitemaking itself is a job that he practises all year round. He also has a grocery store at his home that helps to bring in additional income, but it is kitemaking that fuels his passion 365 days a year.
“The preparation of my work is not just like a month or two. When Easter finishes, I begin to prepare for the next year that same April month-end,” he said.

HIS MODUS
That preparation includes procuring all the material from his regular suppliers, including a hefty supply of Simarupa wood for the frames; kite paper and other materials.
Trevor then gets down to cutting the wood himself, and building the frames of hundreds of kites. By the time Easter hops around the next year, Trevor has made well over 1,000 kites, all of which, he says, are sold out every year.
This year, Trevor made just about 1,250 kites; a bit more than his usual number. He said that this was due to a “positive feeling” he had. “I don’t know if it’s because of ‘the change’, but I had a very high energy level. And that’s also probably because we had no Mashramani, so this is one of our first major celebrations,” Trevor said.
As such, he also came out one week early, bringing his time on Camp Street to three weeks instead of two.

The extra week has proven beneficial for him, too, since he has since sold more than 300 kites. He is sure that his remaining kites will no doubt be sold out as usual when the ‘rush period’ for kites begins today. “Every person should follow that little voice in them,” Trevor says. “My feeling was of positivity, and the reaction where that was concerned was great.
“I’m amazed at the level of business I’m getting, because you keep hearing, ‘Business ain’t doing.’ But, for me, I cannot complain; I have created a connection with the Guyanese public for 37 years.”

MORRIS PRINCE
Morris Prince is another kitemaker who knows Camp Street well, having been coming out there for 28 years.
Morris practises the trade of sculpting on most days, but uses kitemaking as a secondary income. “I was just home and not really working; so, to occupy the time, I decided to also do kites,” Morris said.
Like Trevor, Morris makes close to 1,000 kites every year, but he doesn’t toil all year to reach this goal. He said that work for the Easter usually starts around the August of the prior year.
He attests that most times, all of his kites are sold out annually, but that he also gives many of his kites away. “There are some less fortunate children that come and ask for kites, and I would give them away; that’s no problem for me,” Morris said.
This act of goodwill affects him even less with the increased business he has attested to experiencing this year. Morris says he enjoys the craft of kitemaking, and would like to encourage anyone who wishes to make a living in the area of handmade craft to continue following their heart, since, as is the old adage, ‘One who does what they love for a living will never work a day in their life’.