MEMBERS of the Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group Christmas Fair Committee (KMCRG - XmFC) of Region 9 (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) have announced that arrangements for their annual showcase of handicraft, jewellery, cosmetics, natural products and foods and beverages of the Rupununi are well under way.

They disclosed that their third Rupununi Christmas Fair is to be held at the Market Place at Lethem on Saturday, 15th December, 2012.
 
Behi Barzegar, a Volunteer Services Organisation (VSO) officer who is assisting with the preparations for the event, said the KMCRG-XmFC  comprises community leaders from 11 Amerindian villages and 7 satellite communities in the newly designated Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA) in Central and South Rupnuni.

The members encourage and ensure participation of community members in the management of natural resources and social development of their communities.

The Fair showcases traditionally preserved foods, therapeutic preparations, and handicraft; as well as products aimed at broader markets by applying modern techniques to process indigenous materials.
Objective of the Christmas Fair include encouragement and promotion of techniques & skills that help preserve locally available fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat & dairy products, to reduce wastage, promote improved quality, encourage product innovation, and stimulate positive attitudes to nutrition, Barzegar recently disclosed.

Individuals and groups are expected to have on display and for purchase products ranging from juices to dried & crystallised fruits, fruit leathers, fruit cheeses, jams, marmalades & jellies, achars, pepper sauces, farine & cassava bread, cured & dried meats, as well as dairy products.

Hand-made jewellery, ornaments & baskets will be available next to soaps, creams, herbal oils & tinctures.

In keeping with the spirit of merit for effort and excellence, competitions will be held in each category of exhibits; with winners, chosen by a panel of judges, receiving prizes and awards.
The first such fair was held at Lethem in December 2010,
Behi said, and there had been unprecedented turn-out, support, & enthusiasm for the event from participants, donors, public & private sector organisations, and customers alike. This helped to establish the initiative as a local event in its own right in the region.

Winners of the competition held in 2010 and 2011 received prizes such as blenders, weighing scales, juicers, pressure pots, and jam jars with lids.
The overall winner of each category received the awards, including sponsorship for a 10-day workshop on business administration and marketing, donated by the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED), and a two-week cookery workshop, donated by the Carnegie School of Home Economics.
 
The Fair Committee was able to provide the winners with the cost of flights to and from Lethem, as well as a daily allowance.
 
Behi said the KMCRG Christmas Fair Committee is looking for sponsorship for awards and prizes that would encourage enterprising activities, and motivate participants to continue to develop their skills, and to market their products.
 
She said: “We would be delighted to receive support for the Christmas Fair and its role in promoting the values and traditions, particularly of Amerindian communities in the Rupununi.”
 
Funds can be placed directly into the GBTI account: Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group (KMCRG) Christmas Fair; account No CIAH 234983, or to Behi Barzegar Development Consultant, Agri-Processing Food Technology Specialist, Lethem telephone # 674-4071.