Nature lover and budding entrepreneur seeks to fulfill family’s dream

Jan 13, 2020 News

by Enid Joaquin

Stephon Harding relaxing at home at Coomacka.

Stephon Harding is a young man with a passion for nature, so much so that he was given the nickname “Nature.”
No wonder, as Stephon spends most of his time on the sprawling grounds of his parent’s nature resort and family fun park at Coomacka (Linden).

There, he occupies himself with keeping the facility clean, while also cultivating agricultural and flowering plants.
Coconut trees line the walkway, and beautifully pruned plants add to the natural beauty of the grounds.
At 23, Stephon is preoccupied with transforming what was mostly undulating sand hills, punctuated by giant trees and shrubs, into a place where people from across the country and even further afield, can come to enjoy and revel in nature.
“We have the huts, plus tents and even sleeping bags, for those persons that would want to overnight”, Stephon declared.
The young, budding entrepreneur, who describes the Fun Park as a work in progress, said that he has been working on the facility since it was birthed about five years ago.
Pointing to a huge, natural pool, Stephon said that he helped his parents and another relative, to dig the facility by hand.
The water, he said, comes up from the earth in a continuous flow.
He admits that there is much more work to be done, but there is only so much that he can do on his own, as his father works at Bosai Minerals INC, and hardly has the time to assist.
Notwithstanding insufficient labour and lack of financial resources, Stephon was able, to almost single handedly build three small huts, using raw lumber from the surrounding areas.
However, his father did most of the work on the huge benab at the resort.
His mother, Shevon Harding, said that although her husband is of Indigenous descent, he had no idea how to plait the troolie palm for the roof.
“It was actually another man that had to show them how to do it, and the funny part is, the man is not even Amerindian,” she admits in amusement.
But the lessons in troolie plaiting were enough, because Stephon boasts, that he can now actually roof a benab.
“There is so much to be done around here, but everything comes at a cost”, he declared.
According to Stephon, the Fun Park was established by his parents, entirely out of pocket.
Some of the amenities, like the solar lighting system and generator, cost a tidy sum, and so any further developments, would not be possible without external funding.
His mom Shevon, explained, “This project was long in the making…. it cost us a lot, and presently we’re not seeing any returns, so it’s kind of frustrating, but people are advising us not to give up.”
For Stephon, giving up is not an option, as he has found his niche.
“I love nature, and so naturally, I love this place, and I’m going to work hard to take it to the next level.”
He envisions in another five years that, “Rock Sand Resort and Fun Park”, will be among the most popular resorts in Guyana.