For Sheena Scipio, while being an entrepreneur comes with the perk of being her own boss, she also finds satisfaction in the purpose it creates. Her business, Kayawen – Everything Indigenous, serves as a platform for the sale of indigenous crafts and products.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, within a matter of almost three months since its founding in September, the online business has a growing customer base. And with one of the most in demand indigenous products during the Christmas season being cassareep for the traditional Pepperpot, Scipio’s business is expected to continue see a boom.
As the daughter of the Toshao of Moco Moco in Central Rupununi, the 29-year-old Scipio, whose heritage is a blend of three indigenous tribes – Makushi, Patamona and Arecuna – believes that helping her fellow indigenous people is her calling.
Kayawen (pronounced ka-ya-wing) is a Makushi word meaning ‘sky and valley’. And Scipio chose it as her business’s name simply because she likes the word, and it is part of the little Makushi she knows. As the rest of the name implies, the business sells only indigenous products and Scipio earns a percentage.
Currently, there are only two indigenous people attached to Kayawen – Everything Indigenous. One is Scipio’s mother and the other is another Moco Moco woman. Her mother makes the cassareep sold on the site, while the other woman from the village makes jewelry and craft items including the tibisiri bags. The business is soon to add more products with cassava bread made by Scipio’s mother expected to be on sale from this week. The young entrepreneur is also looking to provide cashew nuts and pepper for sale.
The idea for the business was conceptualized several years ago. Every time she travelled to the city to hang out with friends, she flaunted colourful jewellery made by the indigenous people. People were always asking where she got them. Realising the interest, she began to think of a way she could promote their work.
She had planned to start her business last year but was discouraged by the many naysayers who said she would not find markets for the items. But there was one friend who kept encouraging her to go ahead with her plans. In the end, she decided he was right, and she pressed on with his well wishes and confidence in her ability. Owing to the cancellation of all events as a result of the pandemic, there was no Indigenous Heritage Day this year. Scipio used the business’s Facebook page to feature the skills of her people. She initially began by showcasing a variety of indigenous jewellery.
Because there is only spotty internet in the Rupununi and a lack of knowledge about operating a business online, Scipio resides in the city.
Every week she collects buckets of cassareep that are transported from the Rupununi to Ogle Airport by plane. Business, she noted, is not doing badly at all. In fact, she is able to pay her suppliers and other expenses. Scipio went on to add that marketing and selling the products are not all she does. In fact, the attractive packaging of the cassareep is all her doing. Much of her time is used up doing this. She also spends some of her time photographing the items to be sold.
The entrepreneur further stated that all of her items are sanitised by the people back home, by the staff at the Ogle Airport and then she does the same. All bottles are bought from the Guyana Marketing Corporation and they are sterilised.
Most of her customers, Scipio said, live in and around the city and she provides delivery at a small cost to them. Customers from Berbice and Linden usually place their orders for whenever they are headed to the city so that they can pick them up.
“Business is excellent. I get a lot of great feedback. A lot of people call me for cassareep, especially because the Rupununi cassareep is pure. I sell farine, too, which my mom makes. With farine, you can’t just have it here waiting for it to be sold. Farine needs to be fresh always and so whenever someone wants farine, they would call ahead,” she shared.
She added that even if there is something that someone wants that she has not yet started to sell, she works to make it available. A hammock, for example, falls into this special order category. When someone wants a hammock, she contacts a woman who makes Wapishiana hammocks. However, because this takes time, persons are required to place their orders a month in advance.
Scipio enthusiastically looks forward to the day when her business becomes a household name in Guyana.
“I intend to someday own an Everything Indigenous store,” she boldly said.
Orders can be placed via the Kayawen – Everything Indigenous Facebook page or by contacting Scipio at 666-9236.
