As Guyanese, particularly African Guyanese prepare for the August 1 commemorative rituals and festivities to mark Emancipation Day, Patricia Helwig has long been immersed in her own ritual of creating African costumes and items of craft with which to help mark the occasion.
Last week, her establishment, Despat’s Creative Craft in Prashad Nagar was a hive of activity. Costumes in a dizzying array of typically colourful African fabric and African dolls among other paraphernalia – in various stages of completion – could be seen waiting to be put on public display and offered for sale.
Since Monday, Helwig, known as Ms Pat, had set up her customary booth on Main Street Avenue, in the vicinity of Courts. Up until and perhaps