Dear Editor,
Hi, I go by MK. My full name is Makayla – but to my family, I am affectionately known as Kayla. When I was barely a newborn in the hospital, my aunts would bring me porridge because I was not drinking the formula. Since my mom worked late, my aunts or cousins picked me up from school and we played until my mom arrived. I don’t remember why, but as a toddler, my cousins made me the best theme song. As I flip through childhood albums, they are filled with baby pictures of me playing in my Aunty Jessie’s yard in Georgetown, with the brightest, most innocent smile on my face. I am her namesake. As I got older, I grew confused as to why my other Guyanese friends could not get Pepper Pot until Christmas time because my family regularly kept all of the staple cuisines in full rotation. These are some of my fondest memories as a child.
Considering I was actually born and raised in Brooklyn, NY – they speak to how far and wide authentic Guyanese character and culture will travel. Reintroducing myself: I am Makayla Anderson, a first-generation American born to two West-Indian parents – a Jamaican-born mother and Guyanese-born father. Though I was born and raised in Brooklyn, neither of my parents hesitated to ensure that I knew the ins and outs of my culture. Hence, why many of my core memories are in relation to Guyana. As I actively reconnect with my family who migrated back, I get to experience and explore Guyana as an adult – uninfluenced and on my own terms. That being said, I opened this letter with core memories from my childhood and want to share my observations as an adult thus far:
1. Being an avid traveler, Guyana has the rarest, purest land that I have ever encountered. Nowhere feels more like home to me, not even my birthplace of NYC.
2. Guyanese people will welcome and embrace you regardless of where you come from. My dad does not hesitate to tell me I probably have more Guyanese blood in me than Jamaican and anything else. Traveling this past May with others who had never even heard of the country, I witnessed hosts of various lodges and owners of local establishments take in these individuals as their own. The inquisitiveness of our culture was met with grace and pure excitement to teach new travelers about all that Guyana has to offer.
3. The blended culture + food is unmatched. I will exclaim to anyone who will listen, that the secret ingredient to Guyanese food is LOVE. Made with intention, freshness and high quality. Touring Bourda Market and spending a day with Guyana’s own, Chef Delven Adams, of Backyard Cafe was the perfect reflection of this as my travel group and I were able to taste a plethora of fresh fruits, new snacks and meet the local stall owners behind the daily magic.
4. Hospitality, respect and community comes naturally. On my first journalism trip to explore new parts of Guyana, I fell ill. During my stays at various lodges, the staff members did not hesitate to check on me in the middle of the night and make accommodations to ensure I was able to take my medicine promptly. A few of the lodges even prepared Lemongrass bush tea specifically for me – a herb that was introduced to me by my grandmother, who grows it along with other herbs, fruits and vegetables in her impressively expansive garden.
5. Ecotourism is a top priority. My biggest fear with embracing tourism is lack of respect for the land. On this same trip to the interior and Kaieteur, I was able to learn about how the government will not invest into tourism development unless the entire village agrees that it is welcomed. We were also not allowed to use plastics, to prevent waste. Although I am highlighting the positives of tourism in Guyana, I would be remiss to not acknowledge potential concerns. Here is our reminder, that two things can exist at once and no country is perfect. The journey to tourism is not expected to be seamless, though I do believe it will begin to thrive as we raise awareness for those meant to experience it. Knowing that I was one of the first in my family to visit Lethem, and Kaieteur (Falls) – left me with two conflicting sentiments:
(1) I am grateful to have had such access to an incomparable and distinctive part of the world. I travel to this country regularly and had no clue parts of this land existed.
(2) While in the midst of my adventure, I could not help but question: why haven’t many people in my family been here before me? How would they even gain access to this region? And why are we asking outsiders to come before our own citizens? Guyana does have major opportunities for improvement. Whether that be cultivating infrastructure developments or advancing technological capabilities. Embracing tourism can help to economically develop the country, leading to the addition of more job opportunities and more feasible access to presently isolated areas. So no, Guyana is not necessarily for everybody.
And it does not need to be. Though it does need and deserve its shine. In a world filled with chaos, the Guyanese culture is the perfect blend and reminder of how (2) things can exist at once – whether that be: coexistence of the assorted cultures, thriving tourism and local experiences or heightened success and opportunities for growth. After all, Guyana’s resilience has shown me time and time again that these differences can always come together, forming “one people, one nation, one destiny”.
Sincerely,
Makayla ‘MK’ Anderson
