The Rupununi Christmas Fair Preparing for a showcase of local talent, productivity

The Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group Christmas Fair Committee (KMCRG – XmFC) would be holding their third Rupununi Christmas Fair Dec. 15, 2012, to be held at the Market Place at Lethem in Rupununi.

The Rupununi Christmas Fair has become an emerging tradition, creating a forum for showcasing local talent, foods and other creative products.
Following the success of the fair last year, the Rupununi Christmas Fair  would be presenting a  range of gifts, including locally made handicraft, jewellery, cosmetics, soaps and natural products, as well as a fuller range of deliciously made foods and beverages that have now established the fair as an annual event in its own right.
“Development has many faces, and this fair seems to have struck the right chord at the right time, by creating a link between agriculture, income generation, and tourism – that is, agro-tourism – not just for the KMCRG communities, but for the whole of the Rupununi,” said Toshao Patrick Gomes, President of Kanuku Mountains Community Representative Group, who acknowledged the growing support for the fair.
The popularity of the competitions and the useful nature of prizes would see the return of this feature this year. The overall winners of each category in last year’s fair received awards and, through donations from supporters of the fair, the event’s committee was able to provide them with the cost of flights to and from Lethem as well as a daily allowance.
Sharla Hernandez, from Rupununi Crafters, St Ignatius, won a 10-day workshop on business administration and marketing donated by IPED. Veronica Forbes from YWMS-SEPO in Annai also won a 10-day workshop on business administration and marketing donated by IPED. Marlene Jovence, from Karasabi Organic Food Processors, won a two-week cookery workshop donated by the Carnegie School of Home Economics.
The types of awards considered  for this year are educational/exchange trips to a centre of excellence in the appropriate field; travel and accommodation expenses to attend workshops at centres of excellence; attendance of workshop or training course in the appropriate field; materials that assist with brand or marketing development (product labels, stationary, banners, etc); specialized packaging (jars, rolls of plastic tubing, plastic containers, etc); specialist tools for handicrafts, and kitchen and catering utensils and equipment.
In addition to the awards, there would be the usual minor competition prizes for the participants which, based on their usefulness, would allow them to improve and continue their work. Last year’s prizes such as blenders, scales, juicers, pressure pots and jam jars were delightfully received by participants.
To start their campaign, the XmFC will be distributing a number of posters and flyers around the region and in Georgetown, to promote the event and support the participants by recognizing their efforts. As an important part of their campaign, they are hoping to raise funds that will help preserve the spirit of the fair.
KMCRG Christmas Fair Committee is looking to sponsorship for awards and prizes that would encourage enterprising activities and motivate participants to continue to develop their skills and to market their products.
They 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.
The XmFC encourages all to come out and support this festive event by attending the fair, spreading the news about the event and helping their fundraising activity by donations in cash or in kind.