–serving up delicious tuma, labba, cassava bread in Region Three

REPRESENTING Guyana in 2018 at the 22nd National Youth Assembly in New York was one experience that made a huge impact on Calvin Roberts, a 26-year-old youth ambassador for Indigenous Peoples and their rights in Guyana.

He was particularly impressed to see how well the Indigenous culture was accepted and appreciated by many young people like himself, leading him to set his life and goals in a whole new direction.
“It dawned on me that very moment that if I can represent my country, my heritage, my identity on an international level and be appreciated and loved this much, why not do it on a local level? Why not be a role model for my fellow Indigenous youths?” Roberts told the Chronicle in an interview this week.

Now bent on creating a business to showcase his Indigenous roots, Roberts began thinking of ideas that would help him do just that. The thought of becoming the next Indigenous entrepreneur became more and more intriguing, as he visited various Indigenous celebrations in Guyana.

He took the opportunity to interact with his fellow Indigenous brothers and sisters, and gave a lot of support to their businesses. “I would spend almost all my money on their cuisine, but at the same time, I was preparing myself to become the next owner of an Indigenous cuisine,” Roberts reflected.

Finally, he decided what he wanted to do: Cook. “It has been something that has been lacking in Region Three,” Robert said. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think there is any Indigenous cuisine in the region, so I wanted to be the first person to do it.”

Roberts, with roots in the Pomeroon, recently launched ‘Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine’ – Han-the Wako-tha-the (Come let’s eat), and uses his kitchen at home to prepare all sorts of Indigenous delicacies. While he mainly works on orders, his long-term plan includes finding a space to offer dine-in.

Operating from Lot 515 Zeelugt North, East Bank Essequibo, his menu includes cassava bread and tuma pot, labba, deer, wild hog, capybara, fish, walrus and chicken with beverages like potato wine (Fly) and piwari.
“I always wanted to start my business at home to embrace that uniqueness and pride that comes along. As my business progresses, I will then venture to where ever the need is great. It is about promoting and upholding the Indigenous lifestyle, culture and tradition,” Roberts said.

As a health advocate also, he said he has witnessed how many persons suffered and died from diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc. “I strongly believe one of the most contributing factors for this is poor or unhealthy eating habits. I want to reintroduce or reinforce the importance of lifestyle modification, specifically diet modification,” he said, adding: “My cuisine seeks to promote healthy eating habits as we gear the Guyanese people to make a conscious decision to adapt a healthy lifestyle and thus increase the chance of their longevity.”

Roberts said he’s always been an advocate for the Indigenous peoples and their rights to equality in Guyana. “We are educated, we are intelligent, and we are a peaceful people. We have potential and ambitions like any other ethnic group.”