First-ever Arrival Day Village opens with music, food and inspiration

The diverse contributions of Guyanese immigrants are currently on showcase at the Ministry of Education’s Arrival Day Village 2025.
The event, which is the first of its kind, was launched at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre earlier today and wraps up tomorrow.

Students, teachers and patrons who attend are treated to live cultural presentations and portrayals of the different Guyanese ethnic groups, including food, clothing, arts and crafts, dance, and artifacts.Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, who declared the event officially open, said the struggles and contributions of the ethnic groups which came to Guyana were not in vain.

“The people who came before us, as you will see when you walk through there, whether they came at the bottom of a slave ship or were brought at the bottom of a slave ship in very harsh conditions where many of them did not make it to shore because they were so cruelly treated…or whether they were brought to give work when slavery ended, all of them withstood very harsh conditions to get here. And all of them struggled in very harsh conditions to stay here and build a better life for you,” she told students and teachers in attendance.

The location also came alive with vibrant cultural displays delivered by numerous dance groups, including Joro, X-Factor, and numerous others.
Additionally, attendees were treated to delectable samples of Guyanese cuisine, which were introduced to Guyana by immigrants.

Minister Manickchand encouraged parents and guardians to take students to visit the Arrival Day Village, noting that it displays featured are part of the Social Studies syllabus.
“To all parents, this village is made up of the Social Studies content, required for your children’s learning, for them to be successful at various exams, including the NGSA and the CXC Social Studies and History,” she noted.