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Trevor Osborne…A passionate kite-maker for over 34 years
Many consider this 51-year-old to be a ‘Jack of all trades.’ When Trevor Osborne is not taking on construction projects or catering bar-b-ques, he gets deeply engrossed in the art of kite-making.
Some may consider him much like Santa Claus, because Osborne works year round to put a smile on the faces of children around Guyana.
The master kite-maker who resides at 54 William Street, Kitty, Georgetown, told Kaieteur News that he takes pride in supplying Guyana with the most traditional star point kites.
Trevor Osborne and his son, Trevon pose with the traditional ‘star-point’ kites
According to Osborne, children would not have to worry about their kites turning into “caddie-old-punches” minutes after raising it, because his pieces are made with not regular cheese paper, but the original Barbadian kite papers.
Cognizant of what it feels like to have inferior kites, Osborne told Kaieteur News that he puts much effort into making durable pieces, so that children are not conned and can fully enjoy the season of kite flying.
Osborne usually makes close to 1000 kites each year, but due to a late 2014 start, he only managed to make about 350.
The kite-maker told Kaieteur News that he first began making kites for his church in 1980.
“After then, I start making for neighbours and friends and so…then eventually in 1982, I started to make and sell kites. I started at the corners of Thomas and Alexander Streets, Kitty, and I am still here,” Osborne said.
The father of four noted that each year, his children would become totally engrossed in helping him make kites.
“I have three sons and a daughter. The eldest one is 24 and the little boy is 14, and every year they does help. They does get all excited about it and they would help me make how much ever it is that I am making to sell.”
Osborne said that he is particularly thankful, since the months of preparations usually require many sleepless nights.
According to Trevon Osborne, the kite-maker’s eldest son, “we always had fun helping our father make the kites. It becomes very exciting for us. Even to this day, I does take leave from work to ensure that we finish making the kites.”
The younger Osborne pointed out that while his family would provide other families with kites to observe the season, their workload would not permit the Osborne youngsters to have much fun on Easter Day.
“The Easter weekend does be a tiring one, so we don’t really get to do much. We does make kites for other children to fly, but we don’t really get a chance to fly our own,” the young man told Kaieteur News.
While the Osborne family believes that Easter is a time for spending quality time with family and friends, this is not exactly what their holiday would entail. They do not get to go picnicking and kite-flying like traditional Guyanese families.
On the contrary, the entire Easter season for the Osbornes is all about hard work.
“We don’t really get the chance to celebrate Easter like everyone else. We actually spend most of the day selling kites. After this, everybody usually tired, because we put in hard work throughout the season.”
Trevon Osborne said however that they do observe Easter, but it’s just that they engage in the fun-filled activities the following day, when all the kites are sold.
“He (my father) would usually make special kites for us. So on the Tuesday, then we does go out and fly our kites and have our time. It’s been like that all the time, so we don’t feel like we missing out on anything.”
The younger Osborne further noted that the kite frames are usually prepared many months before Easter.
“That’s when we get to say what kind of kites we want, and our father does make it for us, so it’s still nice.”
A few days leading up to Easter Monday would be the time that Trevor Osborne starts pasting the paper on the kites.
“I really love making kites, and I plan on doing it many more years from now. It pays, and it is what I do. Plus I have my own fan base. And it feels good to know that year after year, people come and look for me.”
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