Residents of the Mainstay/Whyaka Village are benefitting from employment and increased tourism through an eco-lodge initiative funded under Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
Resident Valita Fredericks told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the facility, known as the Lake View Cabins, is managed by the Village Council and has been providing employment and generating income for the community since opening nearly a year ago.
The eco-lodge is in a gated environment, a stone’s throw away from the popular Lake Mainstay.
It consists of two cabins and an additional building with three self-contained rooms: a king room at an affordable $15,000 per night, a queen room for $12,000 per night, and a standard fan-cooled room offering visitors comfortable accommodation while exploring the Lake Mainstay area.
Fredericks explained that revenue earned from the facility is reinvested into the community.
“The village pays us as workers…and we make contributions. If a relative or somebody from the village dies, we assist,” she said, noting that the initiative also supports wider community development.
She described the opportunity to work at the eco-lodge as rewarding.
“It’s really a great opportunity to work in my village and showcase this here,” Fredericks said. “I think it’s something really great to showcase Mainstay, put us on the map, [and] know where people can locate us.”
In addition to the eco-lodges, Mainstay/Whyaka Village is home to several other community projects, including a cassava processing facility, a water treatment facility and a shade house, along with a caged fish initiative, all of which contribute to the village’s continued development and economic growth.
