WHERE IS GUYANA?
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Pre-covid, I had signed up for USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Program and… forgot about it until I received a post-covid assignment request!
What is this program? The USAID website says “The Farmer-to-Farmer Program provides technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries to promote sustainable improvements in food security and agricultural processing, production, and marketing. The Farmer-to-Farmer Program leverages the expertise of volunteers from U.S. farms, educational institutions, cooperatives, private agribusinesses and nonprofit farm organizations to respond to the local needs of host-country farmers and organizations.”
Why did I sign up? I love agricultural coaching and I love traveling! What a great way to travel more, meet interesting people and speak farming!
My first assignment is in Guyana! So many people asked where Guyana is that I had to look it up just to make sure I knew. I learned that Guyana is the only country in South America with English as the official language. I also learned that it has a very interesting cultural mix. There are the Indigenous Indians, mostly in the interior part of the country, and in the coastal region there is a blend of Indo-Guyanese (of South Asian descent), Mulattoes (a mix of African and European ancestry) and Chinese as well as Portuguese populations.
ORIENTATION
I stayed in the capital and largest city: Georgetown (population 200,500). Farmer-to-Farmer put me up at the Peare Kaierteur Falls and Orinduik Falls - on the border with Brazil - the (two hearts). Gasus Hotel is at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Demerara River (red dot). Farther southwest (green flag) lies the Del Hanah Farm where I volunteered.
Farm work and Soursops ahead…