FOLLOWING a visit yesterday to the Mainstay Village and Resort in Region Two, delegates of the just-concluded Conference on Indigenous Women in the Caribbean have commended Guyana on the level of development in that community.

Nicaraguan delegate Monica Aleman told GINA she was impressed with the level of effective management and the way economic activities are being generated in this community.

Senator Pulcheria Teul of Belize said: “I think the Mainstay Women’s Group is impressive. The resort is a good example of how indigenous people can manage their resources and generate revenue from it. It shows that people can do things and move themselves.”

The delegates, who were from Suriname, Belize, Nicaragua, Dominica, and Guyana, were taken on a tour of the Isabella Jackie Mona Yvonne (IJM and Y) Farm where they were apprised of the cultivation practices being engaged there by Village Toshao Yvonne Pearson and other members of the farm.

The visiting delegates also toured the Mainstay Women’s Development Group Heritage Park where Toshao Pearson and members identified various traditional plants which are used for medicinal and economic purposes by the indigenous peoples of Guyana.

During their tour of the Pineapple Plant, they were informed of the processes of the factory which packages pineapple for markets locally and overseas. They received samples of the bottled product.

The tour concluded with a visit to the beautiful Mainstay Resort, where the delegates enjoyed lunch and spent time experiencing the relaxing atmosphere.

The Conference on Indigenous Women in the Caribbean took place during October 9-11 at the Grand Coastal Inn, on the East Coast Demerara, where deliberations were made on various issues affecting indigenous women in the Region and developmental approaches to addressing these issues. Visiting delegates will be returning to their respective countries in the new week.