HAVING left her home village of Pomeroon River more than 40 years ago, Yvonne Pearson settled in Mainstay/Whyaka Mission after marriage and, today, that place is her home, a growing tourist destination with a lot of potential in agriculture and tourism.

She is a Member of Parliament (MP), the Village Toshao, Chair of the National Toshao Council (NTC) and a mother of five who is always involved in community-based development and politics.

Pearson told the Pepperpot Magazine that the people of Mainstay/Whyaka Mission lead simple lives, depending heavily on agriculture, logging and tourism for their livelihood.

Mainstay/Whyaka is said to be the home of the sweetest pineapples, the “sweet loaf” cultivated on a large scale.

On the edge of the village, there was a signboard that said “Welcome to the land of pineapples,” and efforts are being made to have that signboard erected there once again.

Pearson reported that in her tenure as Toshao, she will strive to revive agriculture to its full potential in the community.

She added that the Village Council is developing the lake area. So far, they have constructed brand new washroom facilities; new zinc-roofed benabs are being erected, and the general environment is being spruced up.

The 66-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that it was a project between the Village Council and the Government of Guyana (GOG), and a new guest house will be built to accommodate self-contained rooms, a hammock pad will be added to boost the visitors’ experience, and Arouka Beach will be upgraded.

Pearson disclosed that private investors are welcome to partner with the village to enhance tourism packages and to have food shops and other businesses on the Mission.

She stated that they aim to revive organic agriculture by producing organic honey with part of the bee hive in the jars and an agro-processing plant for their pineapples to make jams, jellies, and juice, as well as a water purification facility where they will be launching their own brand of bottled water.

The Toshao reported that they will eventually go into ‘big-time’ agriculture since they have no shortage of land on the Mission for large scale agriculture, where five acres will be allocated to each resident for farming.

She pointed out that they are motivated to become organic-certified and are working as a people towards achieving that goal as it relates to agriculture.

Historical aspect of the Mission
Meanwhile, giving a historical background of the Mission, Pearson stated that Whyaka means ‘first people of this place’, and it is the village the first settlers lived in until newcomers arrived.

She added that Thomas Ebenezer Pearson was the first self-appointed Toshao of the village and he invested a lot in education by starting the first school and hired a teacher, Sheik Kadir, from across the country, for one year and paid him out of his own pocket.

He was a logger, and when he saw the children running in the community, he was concerned and decided to construct a school for them to attend.

Pearson related that he was an outstanding resident/leader and they dedicated the Resource Centre in his name with an inscription at the side of the building. The building also houses an ICT hub.

She disclosed that the Mission had produced a lot of good people, successful ones, who came back to serve the community, and they are proud they returned to aid in the development of the village.

ICT Hub
The current ICT Hub, which is housed at the Resource Centre, is being extended to accommodate 20 new computers and air conditioning units.

Pearson said that, presently, they have nine University of Guyana (UG) students who are utilising the Resource Centre to complete their studies, and it happened during the pandemic when they had to return to the village.

She stated that the project was realised via the Office of the Prime Minister, and it shows that the Mission is on the move in terms of information technology advancement and is developing.

Pearson noted that they had aired some concerns about benefitting from an all-weather road during a visit recently by President Irfaan Ali, and they are of the hope it will become a reality.

The village leader told the Pepperpot Magazine that they are looking forward to observing Amerindian Heritage Month in September, where the village will come together to celebrate in the traditional way.

She added that they will go paddling, fishing, and cooking traditional dishes, make wines, perform cultural dances and celebrate overall their achievements and at the same time strive to remember their roots while becoming a modernised village.

Pearson stated that the Lake Mainstay Resort is part of the village, and they employ locals.

Sports
As it relates to sports, the Toshao noted that they have a pool of good sportsmen and women, and they are very versed in football.

She added that they have their own Gold Star Sports Club, and they participated in the football league and came out as champions.

Pearson stated that they also host games on the Mission via floodlights, and on June 4, they will be competing against Wakapau Village.