– Toshao Pearson
TOSHAO of Mainstay/Whyaka on Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Chairman of the National Toshaos  Council (NTC), Ms. Yvonne Pearson said work is ongoing to create opportunities for the young people in the community.
Noting that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, she told the Guyana Chronicle, recently, that the organic  pineapple processing factory at Mainstay/Whyaka is doing very good.
“In fact, now is our crop time and we are processing,” Pearson informed, admitting, however, that the El Nino  situation had caused a little setback and some effect in the fields, too.
“We were looking forward to a real good crop but, from all indication now, it wouldn’t meet our expectation because  many of the plants did not produce fruits this year,” she explained.
Pearson said they are still working and currently buying pineapples about three times weekly, towards creating jobs  for the local people.
She said the very vibrant Mainstay Women’s Development Group, comprising 10 members, including herself, are all  involved in agriculture, planting pineapples and other crops.
Pearson said they have a 20 acres block which they are trying to develop into a heritage park.
She said they have secured about 50 acres and are working on the first 20 to put in trails and label trees and such,  to enlighten visitors about how the cultivation is used for various purposes like herbal medicines and natural remedies.
“A lot of things we can tell you about the park are all based on indigenous knowledge. That is why we call it a  heritage park, because it is part of our heritage,” Pearson explained.
She said the group also has an apiary and engages in beekeeping with the number of hives now numbering 22.
“We are hoping to have 35 for the first part of our project and we are also training to use not only the honey or to  bottle it but to utilise the other byproducts, like wax to make candles and hairdressing vaseline,” Pearson said.
She said they are involved in aquaculture as well.
“While we are farmers, there are times when we have a little time to spare so we can occupy our time doing other  economic activities. That is why we are talking about fish, about bees, about planting pineapples and are always active,”  Pearson asserted.
She said they are certified as organic farmers every year and they have to follow the related guidelines, so  everything they produce in Mainstay is chemicals free, natural foods.

More persons

The pineapple processing facility presently has 30 employees from Mainstay/Whyaka and, as the crop peaks, more  persons will be employed.
“What we do is ask farmers who would like to come in during the afternoon and give a couple of hours, if we don’t  have enough people,” Pearson offered.
She recalled that during the month of May 1998, they started as a small craft venture but quickly realised that not  much was coming and switched to the current undertakings.
But they are looking at other enterprises.
The pineapple processing facility was established in 2003, spearheaded by the Amerindian Community of Whyaka, the  National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and Amazon Caribbean Ltd (AMCAR).
In the $3M building, pineapple chunks are put in clear glass containers and sold on local and international markets.
“We started very small and today we have grown. We started in a very small building without electricity, processing  on a fireside. Today we have electricity and a good broiler,” Pearson reflected.
Pearson said they are partnering with AMCAR in an attempt to move the business forward.
“My vision is that, one day, our people, the community would be able to manage, own and control the facility by  marketing the products,” she said.
Pearson also hopes that, someday, the young people of the community can be trained in fields such as marketing,  quality control and other technical fields, to own, control, and manage the enterprise.
She said they are looking at what can be done in training and are engaged in discussions with the NARI and the  Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (ICA), which are important food and agriculture agencies.
Pearson also pointed to a housing scheme, sponsored by Food for the Poor, which  targets some young families and is  encouraging them to stay in the community.
She said, to provide job opportunities for them, the village has been able to establish a computer laboratory to  teach information technology (IT), where, after qualifying themselves, villagers can return and train others.
They aim to open a centre within Mainstay, which has a population of 460