Agrotourism Knowledge Sharing and Strategy Development in Rural Guyana

By -

By Thomas Pepler, F2F Volunteer in March 2023

About the Assignment: Thomas Pepler supported Mainstay Whyaka Village as an Agro/Eco-Tourism Administrative Expert. Mr. Pepler assisted the hosts in developing a management structure and administrative guidelines for their tourism businesses. Mr. Pepler is the co-owner of Dogwood Hills Guest Farm in Harriet, Arkansas and works in hospice care in their community.

During my volunteer assignment in Guyana, I had the privilege of meeting with many members of the Mainstay Whyaka Village as well as the village leadership.  I was there to share and provide expertise in the administrative aspects of starting, growing and operating an agro/eco-tourism business.  I must admit I was nervous to talk to the groups, as while I have been doing this kind of work for quite a while, I don't really feel like much of an expert.

I spoke about how we structure things, and we discussed the ways that changing the structure of what was proposed there could benefit the community and more specifically the business they were attempting to grow.  We shared many examples of successes that we have had on our farm as well as mistakes that I hoped they would learn from and not have to make themselves.  Seeing the passion for their growing business in the village participants was exciting.  Their enthusiasm was contagious and helped the group to all get behind the ideas being discussed.  

As a nurse, I was asked to provide some additional workshops for the community related to health and wellness.  I was able to meet with a group and we discussed some basic first aid, emergency preparedness and general health and hygiene.  It was good to be able to share more of the things I have been able to learn over the years with these folks.  Everything I presented while I was there seemed to be much appreciated.

The team I went with was able to also spend some time in the local area seeing the different areas of the village and surrounding communities, as well as having the honor to spend several evenings out with the locals just relaxing and enjoying some recreation.  I grew quickly to love the place and the people.  By the time we were done on assignment, it was hard to leave.  I had given a lot of things for them to do and think about, and I felt like I could have stayed so much longer.  It will be exciting to find out how they are progressing in their ventures and I hope to be able to visit them again.

The experience that I had out there in Guyana was excellent!  I had the privilege of being with some truly wonderful people that had a passion for their heritage and their village, with a drive to grow their businesses and bring in others to see some of what I saw.  The place was beautiful and the resources they had to share were amazing.  I hope that I can go on other assignments like this one in the future.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case
Read more

My First Goat: A Professor, Students, and some Goats Tackle Food Insecurity in Rural Guatemala

By -
Image
Two Worlds Come Together to Build New Solutions against Malnutrition What does a USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) expert volunteer group from the island of Puerto Rico have to do with combatting food insecurity in Guatemala? Everything.  F2F volunteer Gabriela Colón Rios trains Mam Indigenous women to better care for their goats which will improve food security and reduce high malnourishment rates. Chiantla, Guatemala. Photo Credit: Monica Gonzalez In March 2023, a group of five eager F2F volunteers arrived in Huehuetenango (Huehue), Guatemala, with hearts and minds set on combatting food insecurity in a part of the world unknown to them.  Over the next 10 days, this team of experts would consider Huehue, in Guatemala’s Western Highland region, their new home and office. Accompanying them on their mission would be faithful companions and mighty conduits of change: goats.  Communities in this region live at altitudes reaching 10,000 feet above sea level nestled by captivating mountai
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017.
Read more