THE International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G) hosted a two-day “Ujamaa 2.0” pre-Emancipation exhibition and sale for African-Guyanese entrepreneurs with many of them highly appreciative of the efforts by the organisation to put on the show.

Commencing last Thursday, the expo was held in the Main Street Avenue between Church and Middle Streets and Chief Executive Officer of IDPADA-G, Olive Cannings-Sampson told Pepperpot Magazine on the scene that they were enjoying a good start with the weather holding up well.

Speaking in the company of Programme Manager Lyris Primo, Cannings-Sampson offered that this is the second exhibition by IDPADA-G where vendors, agro processors, artisans and producers of all kinds were invited to come out, showcase and sell their items. There were producers of body care items, hair care items, clothing designers, food, agro-processing items, floral arrangements, soft home furnishing, education materials, and the organisation’s credit union for persons to learn more about.

“We have a nice age range; youths as well as senior persons who are out here with their entrepreneurial experience. We also have a really good showing of women, both young and old,” Cannings-Sampson pointed out.
Over 90 businesses were expected to show up for the expo, from 09:00 hours to 18:00 hours which was held under the theme, “Ujamaa,” a Swahili word meaning ‘Co-operative Economics.’ It is the fourth principle of Kwanzaa and calls on people of African descent to support each other’s businesses.

The folks who participated in the expo were grateful for the opportunity and space that were created for them through IDPADA-G. Here are the comments of some of them:

Junior Vancoot
“The whole event is a good initiative because it is cultural and pertains to freedom, so it is a good remembrance. Once you’re not white, you’re African. You can feel free that you’re liberated. The event is very nice, like a memorial. It brings people together, and that is what I like about the whole occurrence of Emancipation.”

Rebekah Waddell, 21
“I like that the expo has different categories of stuff like arts and craft, hair stuff and different things. Persons get to see what it is that I do. As you go down, you’ll see it’s not just one person who does crochet; one of the things I realised is that everybody does something different in the crochet to show the variety of the art itself. You get to interact with customers. Being at these expos makes me feel good because we should know the struggles weren’t easy; it was a fight. I can be here today because of them (ancestors); they did the hard part, and I get to be a bit freer now. I see a lot of young people out here, and that’s a good thing.”

Obadiah Jones
“I am part of the Hebrew Family of Guyana Drummers as one of the senior drummers that is in charge of drumming here. We brought the youths out to be part of the event, seen as school is out. They can actually get the experience. They are in training right now. This is the junior drummers. The age range is from five to 14. My older generation taught me. One of the things I like about this…even though I am young, I am futuristic so it’s good to have the youths involved especially that the event is based on their heritage. They need to understand no matter where you’re located….you need to know your roots.”

Marva April, ‘The Olive Garden’
“For all your indoor and outdoor flowering plants…plants to do your landscaping, for your office, I have them. Last year we were at Cuffy but the turnout wasn’t like today [July 21] because of the location. We have a lot of people coming and going. I am living in Mocha and every month, we have our farmers’ market day….I take out my plants. It’s a good economic venture. At this time of the year, it’s good that African people can showcase their talents. I feel proud to see that we as a people can better our lives and use our talents to improve the quality of our lives.