Wakapoa Wood Working Workshop 
(Guyana, South America)

Wakapoa Ada Mekeabo 
(Arawak for "Wood Work")

Woodworkers' Paradise Vacation
(Note: The last we heard this program was suspended.  Please let us know if you would like an update on the status.)

Spend a week in a remote Amerindian community (predominantly Arawak) in the beautiful northwest region of Guyana.  Make a piece of hardwood furniture to take home, using our woodworking facilities and wood. You’ll use unique locally available hardwood (harvested on a very small scale with a pledge to replant trees cut down for our wood works) Assistance in manufacturing your product will be provided by our work group. You will also have opportunities to paddle around in dug out canoes (the main mode of transportation in the community), see fabulous birdlife, some monkeys and sometimes even three toed sloth.

The Pomeroon River and Wakapoa Creek boat ride to get to the community of Wakapoa is absolutely breathtaking. The community's isolation is evident not only in terms of the simple and very quiet lifestyle, but also in terms of the availability of public utilities....there are none (we have a generator and we are researching solar powered energy sources to run our equipment).  Accommodations are clean but rustic and the facilities consist of a latrine and bucket bath house.....it is a recipe for an incredibly unique and memorable experience.

Proceeds from the fees support the woodworking venture and a portion goes to the village council and therefore the community at large stands to benefit from this unique form of tourism. It also provides for the work group and opportunity for skill sharing and to learn from you, the craftsmen who come to work with us.

Wakapoa Ada Mekeabo is a small business development project. It is a product of the community's desire to create some employment opportunities with in the community. Its genesis was from local craftsmen's' interest and a determination on the part of a Peace Corps Volunteer to develop a truly sustainable small business...and a lot of dreaming, scheming and hoping.  Initial funding for the project is from a joint venture between US Peace Corps and USAID Small Project Assistance. Our goals are to create employment for the community, capacity building from a successful self help project, and to introduce a low key and very positive form of tourism into the community with the hopes that we will maintain an on going relationship with our visitors.

The fee for your one week stay is US$150.00 which includes use of equipment, the wood (special requests would have to be made in advance), workshop help, room and board and transportation (by canoe) with in the community.  We have some furniture plans, you are welcome to bring your own, quality hardware is not available in the region, we therefore, ask you to bring your own.

Wakapoa is a place you will always remember!

For more information contact:  Ibike. We will try and put you in touch with the latest contact.

Please contact us if you would like to be added to Ibike's mailing list or have questions, comments, corrections or criticism. (Also, please let us know how you learned about us and found this site.) Privacy policy.

  IBF Homepage           Ibike Programs            Ibike Schedule            Search

"Hosted by DreamHost - earth friendly web hosting"
Created by David Mozer
Copyright ?1993-2022 Ibike LLC. All rights reserved.