Over 20 small black business owners, mostly women showcased their locally made products with the aim of getting their products on the market after not financially being able to do so in the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The event was staged on Saturday.
This opportunity came as, the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana hosted UJAMAA meaning co-operative of economics, a one-day sale, and exhibition.
With craft, food, clothing items, and other handmade material on show, hundreds of passersby were greeted with the varieties of items on sale at Square of the Revolution.
IDPADFA, the sustainable community development officer and public relations team leader, Elsie A Harry, said the forum was intended to create that platform for African business.
“We have created here a platform for African Guyanese to showcase their products and to secure some sales for the Christmas season and hope to secure lifetime customers for their business,” Ms. Harry said.
Ms. Harry said the initiative is to showcase and celebrate African business throughout the year and to ensure that the families continue to benefit, not just around the August Emancipation celebration time but throughout the year.
This, according to Ms. Harry, is coupled with having the African community exposed to economic funding. She said that this remains one of the activities that seek to develop the community as a whole and by extension putting monies in the pocket of African People.
Knowing how the COVID-19 would have troubled some businesses, Ms. Harry explained that the event was also done with that in mind.
“This was definitely motivated by the fact that sales have declined during the COVID-19 Pandemic and that is why we have not had any event like this particular one before.
“Prior to now we didn’t necessarily see a huge need for us to participate in this kind of event because there are various craft markets that usually happen; there are persons that vend along Main Street, regularly for example and persons that vend here regularly.
“But because of the effect of the pandemic on businesses where there are sales have declined some persons have been struggling to make ends meet; we decided that we are going to create a platform that gives them the opportunity to sell their products,” Ms. Harry explained.
Couple with this opportunity, many vendors at the exhibitions said that they remain thankful for the opportunity.
At the UJAMAA events, folks from all parts of Guyana gathered, mostly women. According to the event co-coordinator, Vendor from Georgetown, the villages of Mocha, Melanie, Danielstown.
