THIS week’s Focus on the Village features the scenic Lake Mainstay/Whyaka, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where preparations are in full swing to make the place all set for the September 10 National Heritage Day.

The month’s activities will kick off from Mainstay/Whyaka Village, the host village, this year, and a series of things are taking place in the community to beautify and enhance the village.

This year’s Amerindian Heritage Month theme is “Celebrating our traditional culture while building One Guyana.”

The Pepperpot Magazine will be visiting several Amerindian villages throughout September to highlight our indigenous people’s way of life.

Mainstay/Whyaka was designated the host village this year to usher in a calendar of events for Amerindian Heritage Month.

When the team visited Councillor/Treasurer of the Village Council, Samantha Pearson-Smith, who is the head teacher attached to Dredge Creek Nursery School, provided a guided tour of the village.

She is also a resident of Mainstay/Whyaka Village, which is located on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and can be accessed through a road near the Anna Regina Police Station.

That road is in dire need of upgrading, and it is about five miles long. Recently, a contract was inked for upgrading the road.

Pearson-Smith told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is very happy that their village was chosen to be the host village for this year’s Amerindian Heritage celebrations.

She related that they are in full preparation mode, and it is a collective effort of the community to make it possible in terms of arrangements.

Pearson-Smith reported that six weeks ago, they prepared the strong wines to be adequately cured, and it was done by locals who came together for several days to make it happen.

She stated that the wine-making part was a long process which took time, but they were successful in making potato and cassava wines which will be distributed along with all Amerindian dishes for free on Heritage Day.

The villager added that they are all excited, and it is indeed an honour to be the host village and a flurry of activities is happening in the community where construction, landscaping, cleaning and beachfront enhancement are being done.

Pearson-Smith disclosed that rehabilitation and extension of the Multi-Purpose Resource Centre are completed, and it is opened to the community.

The building was repaired, and on the lower flat, an extension was added to accommodate the computer room, which houses 20-internet-ready laptops with desks and air conditioning units.

She explained that the Multi-Purpose Resource Centre hosts all training programmes and in the upper flat, events are held free of charge and an air conditioning unit will soon be installed for that added comfort.

Pearson-Smith told the Pepperpot Magazine that new washroom facilities were also added with black tanks for adequate water supply to the building.

She added that plans are also on stream for preparing all local Amerindian cuisine, following a meeting held by the Village Council.

Pearson-Smith reported that on September 10, which is deemed their Culture Day with day and night activities, they have a packed programme to keep visitors occupied and engaged.

She revealed that they will be serving portions of labba, fish, and crab, bush cow either in tuma pot or barbequed and other wild meats with cassava bread.

The resident of Mainstay/Whyaka told the Pepperpot Magazine that for the Culture Day they will have various outdoor games, including crab-catching.

In the evening, they will have a campfire at the beachfront, just by the lake, and they will host a stage show in the form of a pageant, singing, dancing, poems and skits performed by members of the culture group, youths of the community.

Pearson-Smith noted that the beachfront will be sand-filled and levelled input of the regional administration, tents will be constructed by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), who will deploy ranks to the community from September 4 to assist in preparatory activities.

She pointed out that a new landing will also be built, and all new benabs are complete with washroom facilities and a changing room with shower area.

Pearson-Smith reported that all the wooden benches by the lake will be painted, trees trimmed and the general area will get a facelift.

In addition, the housing aspect of locals was further improved with five new houses as a gift project to the community by Food For The Poor (Guyana).

The five houses- wooden cottages- are almost completed, and it will be handed over to five families who are living in an extended family setting.

The project is in Phase One, and 20 more houses will be built over time in the community, forming a new housing scheme.

Food For The Poor will also launch a project in the village to empower women via skills training to boost their capacity to earn.

“Generally we are 60 percent complete for the hosting of the National Heritage Day here in Mainstay/Whyaka. And we are very excited about everything, and collectively we are going to make it happen since everybody is involved,” she said.

Pearson-Smith pointed that food, drinks and craft booths will be constructed at the beachfront where the activities will take place.