Wild Life Festival

They came from Apoteri, Annai, Aranaputa, Crash Water, Fair View, Kwaimatta, Kwatamang, Massara, Rewa, Surama, Yakrinta, Yupukari and Wowetta. They came by boat, by tractor, mini-van, on foot and by bicycle...250 young Ameridians descended on Bina Hill for three days of parades, native skills competition, camaraderie, laughter and fun.

Wild Life Festival is the single largest social event for youngsters in the Rupununi. Once each year they come to talk, eat, display their skills, attend workshops that cover subjects from healthy life-styles to self-esteem and good decision-making. It is a wonderful time for the youngsters.

The Festival exists because of the incredible vision and work of Samantha James, a Guyanese-Canadian of Chinese ethnicity. For months, Samantha "Sam" works tirelessly with her committed team to raise funds, get donated prizes and handle the gazillion details required to make this whole event run without a hitch...and she did this year's event while in her third trimester of pregnancy.

Logistics for this event are a bit different than one might think. Sam has to budget the number of gallons of gas the youngsters from Apoteri will need to come by boat...and make sure they have a boat captain; determine which villages need tractors to bring them out...and will they even be able to get to the road or are the streams and rivers too swollen to allow even a tractor to pass. Other incidentals include: ordering four cows..that have to be slaughtered and brought to the festival site each day. Reminding every youngster to "be sure you walk with your hammock, plate, cup, spoon and 25 lbs of farine."

It is a wonderful time for everybody. It starts with a parade from Rupartee community building, through Rock View to the benab at Annai. Each village is represented by its wild life club. The members, many of whom are in costume, carry banners they have hand-painted. The banners are truly works of art...they are beautiful. Following the festivities in Annai it is back to Bina Hill for traditional skills contests in cassava grating, cotton spinning, archery. In the evening the youngsters perform traditional dances, present skits, recite poetry, tell stories and sing native songs.

At meal time they line up, nearly 100 at a time, waiting patiently for their meal that consists, not surprisingly, of rice, farine, chicken or beef. There is no pushing, shoving or horse play. They thank the cooks and walk away to find friends with whom they can eat and "gaff".

After 3 days of unending activity, banners are collected, mini-busses, tractors and boats all depart, bound for their respective villages until next Wild Life Festival.