ROSEAU Valley Global Network (RVGN) Saint Lucia is a group of volunteers native to the Roseau Valley, dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Roseau Valley and record its oral history.
Through the 2018 Fèsten Mouchwè (summer cultural heritage festival), the RVGN seeks to engender heritage pride, strengthen social capital and revitalize economic activity in the valley.
Fèsten Mouchwè (endorsed by the Folk Research Centre) is a summer festival based on the concept of Sustainable Community-Based Tourism (SCBT).
Fèsten Mouchwè is a Community Reunion initiative; which is part heritage festival, and part economic stimulus project.
In addition to food, music, dance, fashion, excursions, poetry, and storytelling, Fèsten Mouchwè incorporates spirituality, wellness, visual arts and theatre traditions to create heritage-inspired artistic experiences.
Mouchwè expands this scope of work by targeting residents, second-generationers and expatriates with children of school age, who are unable to experience Jounen Kwéyòl in October.
This target demographic sets the FèstenMouchwè summer cultural festival to encourage first-hand experiences similar to the cultural festival – JounenKwéyòl – held annually in October.
Fèsten Mouchwè was inspired by a detail of the Church of the Holy Family (situated in Jacmel, Roseau Valley) mural by the late Sir Dunstan St. Omer that depicts the Chantwel wearing the mouchwè.
Mouchwè is the creole word for the madras head wrap. The mouchwè symbolizes strength, discipline, diligence, tenacity, support, care, comfort, beauty and pride.
This year – 2018 launches the Fèsten Mouchwè initiative as a pilot project with the vision of recurring annually for the next ten years in the first phase (the decision on frequency and way forward is to be determined based on review of the success/lessons learnt).
Sunday, August 12, 2018 signalled the official launch of Fèsten Mouchwè in the form of a creole round d’island.
The launch, dubbed Round d’Islanden Kwéyòl, aims to serve as a fact-finding mission.
Various cultural stops were made, including a lunch stop at a beach in the South.
Traditional games such as tiki-toc, chinese skip, marbles, cricket and lots more were played. This event also offered persons a chance to catch up with one another whilst also taking in the beauty of Saint Lucia.