THE Rupununi Christmas Fair (RCF) started from a simple idea in December 2010 by a British VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) volunteer food technologist, Behi Barzegar, attached to Conservation International, Guyana (CIG), whose placement objectives included promoting food preservation skills among women’s groups in the Rupununi with the aim of developing these skills into forms of income generation. Visits to the member communities of the Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group (KMCRG) revealed that such skills already existed in geographical pockets in the region through individuals or groups with a rich knowledge of tropical fruits and vegetables and enthusiasm to research, experiment and produce a wide variety of products.

The Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group (KMCRG) is a group of eleven Amerindian (Wapishana and Macushi) villages and ten satellite communities located around the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA).  KMCRG has been active since 2003 when it was involved, together with Conservation International Guyana (CI-Guyana) and other stakeholders, in the delineation and management planning processes for the KMPA. KMCRG then continued to be a key stakeholder in the implementation of the KMPA management plan. To this end, they were keen to partner with CI-Guyana to start a Christmas Fair to meet the following objectives;

* To encourage and promote the use of techniques and skills that help preserve locally available fruits, vegetables, meat & dairy products
* To reduce wastage of fruits and vegetables abundant in the region,
* To promote improved quality, marketing, presentation, packaging and labelling;
* To encourage product innovation,
* To promote positive attitudes to nutrition.
* To draw the attention of state and private sector to the natural resources available in the Rupununi,
* To facilitate the steps towards utilization of these resources in ways that will help the local and national economy.

The First Christmas “Food Fair” was held at the Lethem Market, where individuals and groups from the Rupununi were invited to have on display, and for purchase, a wide range of products from: juices, dried and crystallised fruits, to fruit leathers, fruit cheeses, jams, marmalades and jellies, achar, pepper sauce, farine and cassava bread, cured and dried meats as well as dairy products. One of the conditions for taking part was that products must be prepared from produce grown in the Rupununi. At the time of the first Fair, there were very few food processors in the region. Others were struggling to take initial steps to prepare for registration for commercial production under the requirements of the Food and Drugs Dept. It was envisaged that the Christmas Food Fair will provide the platform for launching a strategic development plan for agro-processing in the Rupununi.

Over the years, the Rupununi Christmas Fair, as it is now known, has been firmly established as a local tradition. Participants travel from all over the Region to showcase a variety of festive gift ideas, including locally made handicrafts, jewellery, cosmetics, soaps and natural products, as well as a fuller range of deliciously made foods and beverages. In recent years another feature has been added where special gifts are distributed to children by a local Santa Claus. This new addition has proven to be a much-anticipated and enjoyable activity for the families at Christmas time.

Through a unique feature of prizes and award, the Fair has been responsible for encouraging enterprising activities and motivating participants to continue to develop their skills and to market their products by receiving a prize in the form of tools or pieces of equipment relevant to their craft. The Fair has been responsible for awards, completely free of cost to the participants – including attendance of workshops at the Carnegie School of Home Economics; workshops in management and administration in Georgetown; participation at Guy Expo and attendance of the Honey Expo in Georgetown. In preparation for the Fair, participants are provided with technical and financial support to ensure improved labelling and presentation of items. Transportation and accommodation are also provided for persons traveling from KMPA communities outside of Lethem.

As we reflect on the journey over the past eleven (11) years, the successful hosting of this event would not have been possible without partnerships. The KMCRG continues to provide leadership and coordination for each year’s event by spearheading a Regional Organising Committee comprising of representatives from CI-Guyana, Regional Democratic Council, NAREI, Department of Education, Rupununi Chamber of Commerce, Visit Rupununi, Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and others.

With the formal establishment of the PAC in 2012 and its subsequent responsibility for the implementation of the KMPA Management Plan, the KMCRG became a key partner in the administration and management of the protected area. For the past four consecutive years, the PAC has been the main sponsor of the event, providing technical and financial support.
This event, which is cross-cutting across tourism and agriculture sector, is supported by a growing number of international, national, regional and local donors. Behind this development is the underlying knowledge, supported by first-hand experience of participants, that in successive years of practice, the RCF has grown without compromising its basic values of integrity and respect for community spirit and family togetherness, as well as and being careful not to allow the entertainment elements to overshadow the fundamental objectives of this Fair which are to provide access to market, generate income, and, hopefully, lead to enterprise development for the hinterland communities in the Rupununi.

Sadly this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this annual activity will not be held, however, we encourage you to continue to support these local communities as we seek to improve local economies. We also take this opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Mr. George Tancredo, a legendary Balata artisan whose products have been one of the main attractions at the Christmas Fair. We continue to keep his wife and family in our thoughts even as they grieve his recent passing. May the beauty of his craft and commitment to his trade be an inspiration for us all.

This article was prepared by the Protected Areas Commission in collaboration with the Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group (KMCRG) and Conservation International (CI-Guyana).

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Caption: RDC Chairman for Region Nine, Bryan Allicock and former Executive Director of CI-Guyana, Dr. David Singh, inspecting craft items at Christmas Fair 2017

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Caption: Judges inspecting produce at the Christmas Fair 2019