SCORES of small business owners were given an opportunity to showcase their products and services at “Ujamaa 2.0,” a two-day Emancipation sale and exhibition organised by the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly Guyana (IDPADA-G) on Main Street, Georgetown.

The exhibition, which is the second of its kind, saw Afro-Guyanese entrepreneurs displaying a range of products and services including catering, paintings and home decor. With a number of persons passing through to purchase items or browse, the businesses were able to capitalise on gaining new customers and selling some of their products.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Natasha Bristol, the owner of Empress Kids’ Palace, which customises clothing for babies and children, said her business has been in operation for almost three years and she wants to explore new styles and fabrics.
She has finally been able to do so with the help of the exhibition.

“We have the kids Ankara print outfits for Emancipation, we have them in any size; they are custom made. [We] do pre-orders and deliver in two to three days,” said Bristol.
She added: “I feel good, I think the exhibition was well executed. It’s been a while I’ve been wanting to do some outfits for Emancipation and I finally got the opportunity through the exhibition.”

All items produced by Bristol are handmade or sown by her. She customises any outfit to suit the needs of her customers. Her service is not only limited to clothing, as she also customises shoes and other accessories.
Meanwhile, Veronica Langford of Veeronke fashion, who is a first-time participant in the exhibition, said she is excited to see more platforms being created to promote local talent and businesses.

Langford creates as well as supports other creators, designers and artists in promoting their work to reach consumers, through her boutique.
She also provides a unique twist on the Guyanese leather slippers, offering a unique and vibrant line of colours and styles.

“I have some leather slippers. I have some shirts. I have some tie-dye; we have some painted pieces – all handmade,” she said.
Yanniska Rufino, co-owner of Soul Essence gy, a skin and hair care business, displayed a variety of products catering for any kind of hair and skin texture.

Rufino, like many other participants, lauded the exhibition and hopes to see similar activities hosted by the organisation in the future.
In a previous interview with this newspaper, DPADA-G Community Development Officer Elsie Harry had explained that the name of the event is actually linked to the African celebration of Kwanzaa.

“Ujamaa is the fourth principle of Kwanzaa. It means cooperative economics, so what we are promoting is building our businesses, building our stores and profiting from them collectively. So, we’ve provided a platform for African-Guyanese businesses to showcase their products and hopefully secure sales and long-term customers for their businesses,” she said.