Fourteen female farmers from Petite Soufriere, Good Hope and San Sauver will be recognized for their hard work in the agricultural sector as part of the annual Feast of the Farmers- Fete Isidore.
Celebration kicks off on Wednesday 4 to June 9.
Chairperson and main coordinator, Ernie Lawrence, told DNO that the event is being staged much stronger this year.
“It is better this year,” she said.
Last year, that community festival was “scaled down” due to the havoc that heavy rains had caused to the island’s road network.
Lawrence said the farmers’ award ceremony is a major activity of Fete Isidore.
“The award ceremony is a major activity we are bringing on this year. We never had it and this year and this is one of our highlights,” she said. “We are not going to give a trophy, but it will be agricultural inputs and agricultural tools that are what we are going to give them.”
The award ceremony will begin at 7:00 pm at the San Sauveur Primary School on Wednesday.
According to Lawrence, women farmers are not highly recognized and are in some cases looked down on and that is the reason they are being recognized this year.
“You don’t hear anything about women farmers,” she stated. “But we want to let the world know that we have farmers in our community who can do just as well as the men farmers and even better, and we have those women in our community.”
The awardees are: Marcielline Antoine, Marietta Laurent, Theresa Lawrence, Royette Seraphine, Stephanie Seraphine, Vignette Toussaint, Rosiette James, Edmay Titre, Christina Titre, Martha Toussaint, Roselyn Seraphine, Isaline Durand, Yvonne Laurent and Monique Charles.
Other events for Fete Isidore include a Traditional Night in Good Hope on June 6 featuring the Black Devils from the community, Lapeau Kabwit and other aspects of Dominica’s culture.
Saturday 7th is Fish Night featuring the WCK band and a Sports day is on the cards for Sunday 8th.
On Monday 9th, activities will culminate with a mass, during which a cultural elder will be honoured.
An exhibition and cultural expo are also planned,and will climax with one of Dominica’s most popular dance band, the Fanatik band.
The San Sauveur Church committee has used the proceeds of previous years’ celebrations towards the renovation of the church pews and the construction of toilet facilities.
Organisers said proceeds from this year’s activities are expected to go towards the refurbishment of the over 100-year-old Catholic presbytery in San Sauver
The event is costing over EC$21,000 to stage and Kubuli is one of the main sponsors.
I am very happy about this year’s line up. It has been a little boring over the year, especially on a the monday. Good job organizers. I look forward to this weekend.
Wonderful, keep our feast alive. We need to keep our traditions going so that the youths will carry them though for generations to come. GOOD JOB.
Shame!!!!!!!! A feast instituted by the Catholic church to honour Gods blessing on farmers, farm workers and labourers is celebrated by a group name (black devils). Painfully no clergy or lay persons will object. St. Isidore please google his name and learn.
You are so right! we embracing too much devil names: morne aux diable, morne diablotin.
i respect these lady farmers… I know them all and I am pleased they deserved it
Everytime Isidore approaching, I remember Mr. Leonard Newton. Look a man that had done a lot for the community. Last time he worked before his death was helping with the landslide. RIP, Leo!!!
Like my deceased aunt would say; Isidore isidore powpow, isidore, isidore pow pow, isidore isidore…isidore nee rectimah!
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
Great keep our tradition strong Fete Isidore wolllay BoDa, Sort. Seewo and all I`ll be there.
https://www.facebook.com/FeteIsidoreSanSauveur
Very interesting but one observation i noticed is the black devils name for a group. Isn’t that satanic or honouring satan to have such a name for a group that is affiliated with a church feast?
Tommy Lee saga came to my mind from reading the name black devils.