Youths experience and acknowledge the benefits of the shade house cultivation of greens and vegetables to mitigate threats of climate change

[Autry Haynes]

Informal conversation contributes to the internalization of opportunities / initiatives to the community

That day, after a satisfactory and motivating three-hour session of work in the shade house and selling some greens to community members, 6 young women and 3 young men sat and engaged in an informal socializing conversation. The environment was conducive, they sat in an area they had previously cleared among the trees. “Why don’t we cook?” someone suggested. It was agreed! 

Greens and vegetables planted in a shade house to improve productivity per unit area of land.

Tasks were shared, starting the fire from dry shrubs available, to getting the ingredients—some bought (minimal), some from different homes, and some from the shade house as the callaloo (poi)—and cooking. Everyone participated in different roles of this impromptu bush-cook. (^_^)

Prior to this shade house experience, none of those involved had knowledge of shade houses and none had much interest in farming and agriculture. Their involvement, actually, was part of the Village Council initiative to stimulate interest in different entrepreneurial livelihood opportunities and external funding by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, supported the stimulation as a means of building resilience. The shade-house is one livelihood opportunity. The shade house [96’ x 38’] was built to demonstrate to the youths and farmers its mitigation effect on climate change and to build resilience as an initiative of the Mainstay Whyaka Village Council. 

Today, this informal socializing moment offered an opportunity for the youths to talk about the intense high daily temperatures and the impact on their lives and livelihood. The conversation included how growing vegetables and greens in such a controlled environment is practical and rewarding. This moment, among the laughter that ensued, was an indication of the internalization of the shade-house as a beneficial livelihood opportunity. 

                                        The bush-cookers sharing a meal together.

The Mainstay Whyaka Village Council hopes that eventually 3-5 of the 30 youths in the village looking for another opportunity in life will take full responsibility of the shade house enterprise as a business that would generate satisfactory revenue. The 30 youths are assisted by a Government of Guyana program through the Mainstay Whyaka Village Council who assigns different roles for them within the village. They are paid every month once they have completed ten days' work (3-4 hours per day).