A Wiri Wiri pepper project in Region One is giving several Warao women a new source of income while helping communities adapt to persistent water and climate challenges.
The project, led by the Guyana Marine Conservation Society and supported by the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), is based in Smith Creek, where indigenous Warao women are cultivating Wiri Wiri peppers, celery and shallots in climate-resilient shade houses.
Founder of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, Annette Arjoon-Martins, said the initiative is designed to give indigenous women opportunities to earn an income, particularly in communities where men and young boys often find work in the extractive industries.
“For the first time, they can earn their own money,” Arjoon-Martins said.
She said the women are earning about $1,000 per pint of Wiri Wiri peppers, while shallots sell for about $3,000 per pound and celery for approximately $4,500 per pound.
The income is already making a difference for families, with Arjoon-Martins saying women frequently use their earnings to keep their children in school.
The project is also addressing one of the communities’ major challenges: access to fresh water.
Arjoon-Martins said the communities are located close to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving rivers and creeks salted for much of the year. Women previously had to travel by boat for hours to obtain fresh water.
Through the GGI, the shade houses were fitted with corrugated roofing that captures rainwater and stores up to 80,000 gallons of water. The facility also uses solar-powered pumps and drip irrigation, reducing the amount of manual labour needed to water crops.
The project is now moving beyond the sale of fresh produce into agro-processing and branding.
The Wiri Wiri is being sold in several forms, including pickled, dehydrated whole, and as flakes. The products are marketed under the Towatuma brand, a Warao term meaning “women working together.”
The women are also receiving support to strengthen their businesses and communication skills and to understand how their products can compete in wider markets.
According to Arjoon-Martins, interest in the products is already extending beyond Guyana, with visitors from the Caribbean asking why the products are not yet available in countries such as Trinidad and Barbados.
The project is working with GO-Invest to be part of Brand Guyana gondolas, with the aim of securing supermarket shelf space and eventually expanding into regional markets.
The next phase will focus on developing more value-added products.
“For the Christmas season, the women are preparing a Wiri Wiri-infused cassareep product, combining the region’s traditional cassareep with its authentic Wiri Wiri pepper,” Arjoon-Martins explained.
And as the Towatuma brand looks toward Guyanese supermarkets and eventually Caribbean markets, the humble Wiri Wiri pepper is becoming a vehicle for women’s enterprise, value-added production and economic opportunities for indigenous communities
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
