The Guyana-linked Corrie family says it has developed an organic hand sanitiser in Barbados to meet the surging demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A release said Barbados-born (of Guyanese Arawak and Makushi descent) Caribbean Indigenous Rights activist Damon Gerard Corrie and his family are spearheading the effort. His family includes his St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri Guyanese Arawak wife Shirling Simon Corrie – and their children Hatuey, Tecumseh, Sabantho and Laliwa Corrie (also proudly born in Guyana on St. Cuthbert’s Mission. The family said that they produce over 1,000 fluid ounces of Organic Hand Sanitizer for eager Barbadian customers each week, with plans to quadruple production.
Like many people, the family said that they found themselves home-bound and jobless when the pandemic struck as they were mainly employed in the tourism industry.
“.. but we sat down as a family and instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we decided it would be more productive to adopt a ‘let’s find a solution that both benefits ourselves and the wider public’ mentality, and as a close-knit indigenous family – that is exactly what we did”.
Realising the need for an affordable hand sanitiser, the release said that they used local fresh Aloe barbadensis gel, Isopropyl/Rubbing Alcohol of 70% strength, and clove oil in a family recipe.
“It stays on your skin for a minimum of 20 seconds before evaporating (which is the internationally suggested minimum time required to kill most microbes), and unlike most factory made imported hand sanitizer – ours leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturised, not dry as the imported ones do”, the release said.
The family said that it cost us only US$500 to start this business, and they made back that money in the first few days of operation.
“Once you have access to these 3 ingredients (Aloe, Isopropyl alcohol of 70% strength, and Essential Oil) – plus decent bottles, and professional looking labels – anyone can do this, and we are trying to advise Indigenous brothers and sisters in Guyana, Suriname, Dominica and Belize, to do the same thing we have done for Barbados, in their own countries….as we believe problems that originate in nature can find solutions to them that arise from the peoples closest to nature”, the release said.
