The weeklong observation of Emancipation 2022 by the Holy Trinity Anglican Church through the celebration of Festen Bwapen ek Chatayeen ends today.
The week started with a church service, last Sunday, at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, presided over by Venerable Archdeacon Glasgow, Chair of the Team behind the church’s Emancipation celebrations.
Festen Bwapen ek Chatayeen ends with a second Lecture to be delivered by Nkrumah Lucien at 10.00 a.m. Presenting him will be Rhyesa Joseph, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Monsignor Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre.
Nkrumah Lucien, a member of the National Reparations Committee will discuss “Sankofa and Reparations: The Past is Present”, and will examine the issue of reparations (for enslavement and colonialism).
Earlier in the week, Wednesday, Albert Deterville spoke on Chaché an mòd mannifèstasyon èsslav ansyen pou anpéché’y fèt ankò. He drew from the manifestations of slavery with a view to avoiding its recurrence. These lectures form part of the theme of the observation which focused on the indigenous peoples.
Today’s programme will end with folk drumming by the KWI Band of Micoud and poetic renditions by Oshun. Oshun also has had on display her paintings and artistic work featuring the African in Me. The day before the Major Tones had offered a wide range of musique kweyol.
Throughout the week several high brand products of the cottage type industries which included the biproducts from Breadfruit from The Rural Women Network Clusters from (Babonneau and Micoud) were on display. On display were breadfruit flour and bi-products from confectionery, ice-cream, art work, jewellery and a culinary display of breadfruit flour derivatives.
Major highlights of the Festen Bwapen ek Chatayeen exhibition were the liquers produced by Caribbean Draft Distilling, Rosemond wines and Liquer from breadfruit and chatayeen (breadnut), the St Rose Delight of Confectionery producing a breadfruit jam, the innovation of the Rural and Women Network and Rosemond wines producing wines and liquers and Teas by Garden 758 Teas as well the Soap of I BON SAVON.
The highlight for the entrepreneurs of the cottage industries was the session by the University of the West Indies on Friday and how their research can be made available to the Cottage type industry in St Lucia with a view to enhancing the sector.
Dr O Daley explored the “Commercialization of the Breadfruit and Breadnut through the development of Cottage industries – a perspective of the St Augustine UWI”. As part of a follow up, the Department of Forestry will work with the Anglican Church on a major sustainability programme.
The event was organized under four themes and the Strategic Team was happy for the support offered by the National Archives in the portrayal of the historical information to address the Emancipation and Indigenous people’s component.
The event helped generate discussion on the economic value of the Breadfruit and Breadnut as primary produce that can assist in addressing food nutrition and food security at the national level.
Festen Bwapen ek Chatayeen while attempting to provide a wide variety of supplies of Breadfruit and Breadnut delicacies also experienced the challenges of insufficiency of supplies of the product caused by the supposed high export trend as well as the impact of climate change.