The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) handed over a cheque totalling $3.6 million to the Toka Village, North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), to aid in the village’s enhancement of its tourism package. The cheque was handed over to Deputy Toshao Delano Davis late last month.
These funds will go towards completing two cabins in time for the official launch of the Toka Pottery Experience & Tours. Both the GTA & VR Construction Inc will supervise the execution to ensure that all construction works meet the required building standards specified in the plan.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Sunday, Toshao of Toka Village, Micah Davis shared that these funds will aid in the furnishing of the cabins and the provision of other necessary amenities to better accommodate tourists. He added that the village is also looking to also construct a building to host pottery training which is a popular cultural activity for the people in Toka.
“We want to complete the two toilets and bathrooms for the buildings and furnish them, they’re not properly equipped for tourists. Toka is one of the last villages remaining actually doing pottery which is one of the main [cultural] events that remains in the village, so because of that, we want to boost the pottery experience in Toka. As part of our tourism, we want to do more pottery which will be the main catch. What they’re hoping to do is have a building for the pottery event to take place,” Davis told this publication.
He added that the budget isn’t expansive, so most villagers are prepared to help so they can achieve the desired result.
“We have to stretch the budget so we have to do a lot of self-help, the villagers are willing and are ready to work because it’s a product we want to see kick-off,” Davis highlighted.
According to Davis, the village is currently offering pottery training, so persons can go to the village for this experience. The only issue he reiterated, is accommodation to host the people who visit for training.
Earlier this year, the GTA brought a pottery expert, Margaret Cornette, who was trained on the coast, to offer her expertise to villagers to build their pottery skills.
“Because the pottery group in the village have more knowledge of what is passed on from generation to generation but what Ms Margaret did is link that with some of the training she has from the art that she normally does from the coast,” Davis shared.
He further highlighted that though pottery is the main attraction for tourists to visit the village, they offer a wide range of other activities such as hiking, cave exploring, ranching, birding and much more.
