The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on Thursday handed over cheques of various amounts to 31 cultural groups for Emancipation Day activities.
The monetary donations ranged from $20,000 to $65,000 and the handing over was done in the ministry’s boardroom on Main Street.
Yesterday marked the 175th anniversary of emancipation and, according to a GINA release, the national holiday has been winning the patronage of the Guyana Government as every other cultural event. The release further stated that Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony said he was pleased to be associated with events that promote the culture and traditions of Guyana’s society.
Anthony further highlighted the need to preserve and sustain the traditions that are part of the Guyanese legacy as failure to do so will result in such a treasure being lost to popular culture. “Every group that is in Guyana has played a unique role in our history and despite how we have arrived here we are all part of this rich Guyanese nation and we have made our unique contribution, and we must each value the contributions that have been made to us by our ancestors,” the minister told the groups’ representatives.
Some of the groups present to collect their cheques were the Ifa’s House of Santeria ($33,000), the Beterverwagting/Triumph Emancipation Movement ($50,000), Mocha Arcadia Culture Group ($40,000), Plaisance/Goedverwagting Emancipation Committee ($50,000), Jessamie Cultural Group ($65,000) and Bagotville Cultural Centre ($30,000).
The minister encouraged the various cultural groups to assist the African Heritage Museum in its work by providing any bit of artefact unique to communities and their histories.”We have created a space in the ministry where we can put these things on display and over the years we have been attracting a lot of young people who have been coming to the museum to learn about the culture and its heritage. So you can help us pass these things on to the next generation by giving us artefacts that you have,” the GINA release quoted the minister as telling the gathering.
Andrew Irving of Ifa’s House of Santeria, told the minister that his organisation would send out invitations to the government to be a part of their programme and no one would show up.
Anthony said he would make sure that someone was present even as he turned down a personal invitation from Irving to attend one of the events that was scheduled that night. The minister explained that he had another event to attend that night.
However, Irving told Stabroek News that his group was “grateful for the help” noting that “it’s little bit extra than last year”. Irving said he would be happy if “we get more support not just financial”.
He said that the organisation would be grateful if the minister could assist them in gaining road permits for their march among other things.
Also thankful for the support from the ministry were Ann Baker of the Mocha Culture Group, and June Halley, of the Plaisance/ Goedverwagting Emancipation Committee who received the cheque on behalf of their groups. Baker said that while the money wouldn’t be enough she was thankful for the contribution.
Halley said that the donation meant that her committee could take a step forward. She explained that the money would go towards a candlelight parade and church service in honour of the 64 emancipated slaves who bought Plaisance.
These groups had planned activities ranging from candle light parades, cultural presentation and libation, church services, folk nights, African attire displays, lecture series, village clean ups and fun days among other celebrations in observation of Emancipation Day.
