Garifuna Farmers Market

We are developing a space for a traditional Garifuna Farmers market in Southern Belize. Cultural Artisans, crafts people, curios, and food vendors will also be welcome. The Garifuna Farmer’s Market will be built in the architectural design of a 30x60 traditional long house (above) with thatch roofing known as a Dibasey.
The site is located on Saint Vincent Block, a Garifuna landholding adjacent to Punta Gorda Town in the Toledo District of Southern Belize.  It consists of about 2000 hectares of land we Garifuna have collectively owned and managed for over 150 years. Cero Hill, as it is affectionately called, is of immeasurable cultural value to my people. It is also of enormous strategic value for the commencement of agri-business due to its fertile land and market accessibility.    

We need your help in raising the $5,000.00 needed to make the site operational. The new Dibasey will serve as a Market Point of sale to the immediate Saint Vincent Block community, and a hub for our farmers to gather, and pack food products for sale in Punta Gorda town. The Dibasey will also serve as a designated event space for Organic Farmer’s Association meetings and other community activities.

To effectively serve these functions, the Dibasey will require some interior infrastructural work which will include; a wash basin for produce and basic lighting, and thus connection to town electric and water supply; bench seating and chairs for several dozen people to hold meetings; tables for produce processing and sales; and mesh screening to exclude insects. We have the people, we have the land, but require your financial contribution to sustainably solve the problems that keep Saint Vincent Block in abject poverty.

With your contribution we can continue to build food security, create economic development, alleviate poverty, and regenerate our Ancestral lands and our traditional farming culture.
Entranceway to Garifuna Farmer's Market (above)
(below) Garifuna Farmers prepare for grand opening in November 2017. We look forward to seeing you there.