Small-business owners were given the opportunity to promote their services on Saturday at a farmers’ market at the Everest cricket ground hosted by Dat Yoga Shop.
When this newspaper visited the market that started at 10 am and ended at 2pm, Christina Basil, the owner of Dat Yoga shop said that the objective was to bring clientele to the other small businesses that she is familiar with. She said that at her shop which offers yoga and health supplies, she also has other small businesses which share the space at Lot 39 Anira Street, Queenstown, Georgetown. She added that her clientele is a mix of local and foreign customers and she wanted to expose them to the services provided by other small businesses. According to Basil, a previous farmers’ market she hosted has proven to be helpful in this respect.
“The purpose of the farmers’ market is to give exposure to micro and small businesses most of which are woman led,” Basil pointed out. Further, she noted that the products that these businesses offer are of really high quality which is why she wanted to give them an outlet to promote themselves and their work. She noted that most of the businesses are run by women.
Immediately after entering the market, this newspaper met Akeisha Cave, the owner/lead creator of Iconic by K. Cave told us that she started sewing satin bonnets/sleep caps, robes, and other accessories as a hobby in January, 2020, whilst working at her full-time job. “Elevate your self-care routine” is her slogan which she said accurately describes her comfortable clothing designed for nighttime lounging. Cave explained that her business has evolved to serve women and men who value self-care rituals like sleeping on satin pillowcases and wearing satin scarves.
Eden Clay by Rei-launya Amsterdam is a handmade luxurious personal care brand that was also available at the market. According to Amsterdam, her objective is to nurture self-care rituals. She disclosed that she started with four scents and has since developed eight scents for her products – four of which are part of her Christmas collection. Amsterdam provides body elixirs and body bars among other products. Persons can indulge in the vanilla, earthy sage, floral, peppermint, cinnamon, or any of the other scents that are offered by the Eden Clay product line by contacting Amsterdam on telephone number 625-2510 or by visiting the Dat Yoga Shop.
Ato Skincare is a skincare line that was created by its owner after her cousin had breakouts. According to the young woman, her products are locally made and are great for all skin types. She said that there is the Black Soap Foamer face wash, moisturisers, body cream, and her brown sugar body polish, to mention a few. The moisturisers have a thick but smooth consistency which visibly nourishes the skin and leaves it smelling like Shea butter with an added floral scent.
Shivana Persaud who is the founder and CEO of Lure by Shiv, and co-founder of Sauce Boss, said that all her skincare products are handmade, cruelty-free and natural. She had curated items, books, and supplements as well as body scrubs, moisturisers and candles. While her Sauce Boss line which she curated with her father, is a selection of pepper sauces and other products which include plantain chips and other snacks that go well with the sauces. Persaud’s products can be found on social media.
Teacher’s Achar, a mango achar made by Bridgette Adams, was also available at the farmers’ market. Adams told this newspaper that as part of her retirement plan, she decided to start making her achar and sell it. Adams can be contacted at telephone number 622-3052. Her daughter, Chuku-Liana Adams-Scott is the owner of Green Dreams which supplies indoor and outdoor plants. She also offers gardening tips and landscaping services.
Ebesowana is a newly certified manufacturing company which has been running trials since September 2018. It specialises in chocolate making, chili powder, and dehydrated spices. Its chocolate products are made of pure chocolate, a representative told this newspaper. The representative showed this newspaper the drinking chocolate made of pure chocolate that was tempered and grated. He said that it is currently available at Bounty Supermarket.
Marie and Me boutique and gift shop, Ojay’s Natural Skincare, Shop Gt, Sasha & Co.(a clothing and cosmetics shop), Crafty Expressions (a crafting store), Little Designs (a cupcakes and other sweet treats shop), Scrumptious Sweet Treats, and Nature Works Guyana which provides handcrafted products made of coconuts were some of the other small local businesses that were present at the farmers’ market. The businesses mentioned can be contacted through social media pages on both Facebook and Instagram.
