–makes a believer of first-time exhibitor, Pam Fox

By Naomi Marshall

EVERY year, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) hosts its grand Emancipation Festival at the National Park, with the aim of exhibiting, reflecting and restoring African culture. However, it also gives local entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their wares and create and grow markets for their businesses.

This year, the Guyana Chronicle seized the opportunity to visit the various enterprises on exhibition there, and three in particular caught our attention, so much so that we decided to sit down and have a chat with their owners.

Tazmein Coates is the founder of Lionel’s Extra Virgin Scented Coconut oil, and she said that the event afforded her what she called “direct marketing”, as well as the opportunity to expose her product to hundreds of people.

She said she first came up with the idea of investing in coconut oil when she saw how beneficial it was for the skin.

“The brand was birthed when my son was born and we started using coconut oil on his skin. And after seeing the amazing results, I decided to basically venture out into doing it as a product, as a contingency plan to have something to depend on financially,” the TV personality reflected.

But after realising how competitive the coconut industry is, Coates said she decided to concentrate more on packaging, since presentation is one of the essentials of having a prosperous business.

She also took a decision to help give her market advantage by producing her coconut oil in five different fragrances, with catchy names like ‘Ms. Irresistible’, ‘Mr. Ambitiuos’, ‘Sassy Taz’, ‘Baby powder’ and ‘Original’. She also has them in different sizes of packaging.
Lionel’s Extra Virgin Scented Coconut oil can be found in supermarkets across the country, particularly the major ones like Survival and Bounty.

While out and about at the National Park, taking in the Emancipation Day scenes, the Guyana Chronicle also caught up with Kennard Brown, proprietor of Martin Arts and Craft, who specialises in leather art, and does pretty much anything in the form of art, such as leather slippers, bags, wallets and art pieces.

A teacher by profession, Brown just does leathercraft as a part-time job, an activity he said he was very enthusiastic about ever since he was a child.

“As a child growing up,” he said, “I would usually go to the craftsman and tell him exactly what I wanted. But as I got older, I realised I can be creative and create my own style.”
He soon found out, however, that being a teacher and an entrepreneur can have its own challenges, but he doesn’t let that faze him; he still tries to produce on a large scale, he said.

The holder of a degree in ‘Fine Art’, Brown, who teaches at Diamond Secondary, said that Emancipation is one of several national events that afford him the opportunity to advertise his business or showcase his work.

“I come out here, lime, showcase my leathercraft,” he said, adding: “Most likely, I will sell, and I would get more customers. If I leave here with one-or-two new customers, it is still building blocks for my business.”

Persons interested in Brown’s products can get in touch with him either on Facebook @Kennard Brown, or by phone on 651-6886 or 683-0160.
We also ran into veteran designer, Pamela Fox, of Pamela Fox Classics, and funny enough, she said it was her first time trying her hand at the ACDA event at the National Park. But for a first-timer, she found that she was doing pretty well, in that she was satisfied with the sales she’d made thus far.

Though she’s a designer, Pam is also into jewellery of all types, be it leather or fish-scale. She also does a bit of painting on occasion, it seems, and her leathercraft is not just limited to jewellery, as she also makes other wearable art, like belts and the like.

Most of her major clients, she said, are overseas-based Guyanese, and although she does not have a wide local market, she’s so enthused by what she experienced on Thursday, she said she will definitely be back come next year.

Fox is encouraging young and upcoming entrepreneurs to never give up. “Better times are ahead for us, especially after 2020 when the oil would be in full swing,” she predicted.
Pamela Fox Classics is located at 73 Brickdam, Stabroek. She can also be reached at on: 2261908 or 6854805.