20th of July, 2020. Region 9, Guyana, South America.
The Rupununi Savannahs of Guyana has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, especially since this region of Guyana is driven largely by tourism which came to a screeching halt in light of the coronavirus.
Earlier in the year, the famous and much anticipated Rupununi Rodeo was cancelled – dealing a severe blow to the economy of the Region. The indefinite closure of the Guyana/Brazil border means a cut off of revenue from Brazilians shopping in Lethem. The economy in Lethem was powered in a large part by Brazilians coming over to purchase Chinese and other products.
But that’s not all, lockdown at village gates and closure of businesses in the town of Lethem are making it increasingly hard for residents of the Rupununi to get by during the pandemic. In addition, limited medical facilities pose a serious threat to residents of the Rupununi. The Rupununi relied heavily on medical services in neighboring Brazil. This has now been cut off due to the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of the Guyana/Brazil border.
On these grounds, a fundraiser has been organized by Melanie McTurk of Karanambu Lodge and three others in Association with Eiripan, the Kanuku Community Representative Group and the Rupununi Learners Foundation to help residents of Region 9 to fight the coronavirus pandemic – both on the economic and medical fronts.
This fundraising effort is not limited to residents outside of the Rupununi. If you are living in the Rupununi and are one of the more fortunate ones, we encourage you to donate.
