Two groups use their cultural heritage and knowledge of their environment to produce quality
products and provide job opportunities and development within their communities
Medicine from Trees
Yei Winon Merison Sepo is the local Makushi name which means “medicine/soap from trees”. The name was adopted by a group of women from different Amerindian communities in the North Rupununi, producing traditional medicines and soaps from locally cultivated plants and trees.
The core members of the group are Veronica Farias and Rita Francis, from Kwatamang, and Cecilia Goffreys, now retired, from Massara.
The group was founded under the auspices of the NGO Pro-Natura UK, but with the help and support of NRDDB (North Rupununi District Development Board) is moving towards a state of complete self-sufficiency.
The entire research and development process is managed by Amerindian residents of the North Rupununi. Intra-cultural transmission of medicinal knowledge is facilitated by the Makushi Research Unit (MRU).
The majority of raw materials are sourced from Amerindian titled lands in neighbouring communities, becoming therefore a community-based enterprise so, as the business grows, so does the capacity for benefit sharing. Thus a financial incentive to preserve the pristine environment of the North Rupununi is born.
All products adhere to traditional methods of production and resolutely refrain from mechanization, which means that all work is done by hand following Makushi tradition.
This business is a proponent of practices that maintain the integrity of both culture and the environment. The soaps, creams and tinctures are made from the different plants and trees.
The main goal of the group is to become a sustainable and sufficient community-based enterprise, providing job opportunities to the younger Amerindian generations and preserving the Makushi traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and trees.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine , Farias, also based in Annai, said Medicine from Trees was founded in 2006, and she, Goffreys, and Francis were selected to be trained in researching trees and their medicinal value, and then using these in producing coconut oil, a natural skin moisturizer; crabwood oil and soap, a natural remedy for itches, rashes, insect bites; Neem Cream for itches and rashes; Kiambee Cream for cuts and sores; and Shusuwa tincture (from the female tree) to relieve the pain caused by rheumatism and arthritis, which is also used as a tonic for mature men – just to name a few.
“Our lab is located at Bina Hill Institute. We market our products in our community and surrounding areas, including eco-lodges. Since the beginning, we always do questionnaires for our customers, to get feedback on how effective our products are. Since Goffreys has resigned because of old age, Francis and I have continued. We meet to plan what to produce and the timeframe to do so. We also plan how and where we can market our products. We also have to write a report to submit to our CEO Ivor Marslow,” she revealed.
“We want to get companies in Georgetown to purchase and distribute our products. If we can collaborate with more companies then we can easily distribute our products,” Farias also declared.
“A man met me in Annai and told me he bought our product for diabetes at GuyExpo last year. He said he bought five of our products that help with diabetes, for his mother who was very ill and could not walk and was dying. He said that our medicine has been helping since he gave her and so he travelled to Annai to buy more of it. He also said he will share it with other diabetics,” Farias said, in outlining the effectiveness of Medicine from Trees products.
She expressed her passion for researching the health benefits of various plants, and knows their names in Makushi, as well as their scientific names. Last year, she was part of an ethnobotany research project. Compilation and documentation were done by Guyanese activist Vanda Radzik.
“I enjoy going out in the field to do research on these. We are continuously researching new plants and documenting these. A lot of persons are interested in our products but would usually ask if we’re certified. We really need more training and certification. Although we tell people our products are organic they still want to see certificates because they want to take it overseas. We have seen a vast market for our products but we need certificates,” she disclosed.
Shulinab Women’s Group
Another group focused on empowering women and the community is the Shulinab Women’s Group. The group’s secretary Goretti Louis, speaking with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, stated that it was started in May 2012 with 15 women within the Shulinab community.
“We do wine making, pepper sauce, craft, knitting; we make mosquito nets, hammocks, and sew uniforms for children. We also make peanut butter and cassava bread for the school feeding project done by the Ministry of Education. A lot of tourists buy our products. We have exhibited at rodeos and fairs locally and in Brazil. Our group is progressing and I see it continuously expanding in the future. We are empowered because we have the earning power, but we need to broaden our network to get our products out there,” she noted.
For more information on Shulinab Women’s Group call 696-7091 and for Medicine from Trees call 658-0020, 772-9292 or email medicinefromtrees@yahoo.com
