ON Wednesday, December 6, 2023, H.E. Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, joined Hon. Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte, Minister for the Public Service, Home Affairs, Labour and Gender Relations, Hon. Alvina Reynolds, President of the Senate, and Mrs. Marilyn Bain, Chairperson of the Babonneau Constituency Council, on a brief tour of “Typee Town” in Babonneau.
“Typee Town”, a small area located in Cacao, Babonneau, is named after a well-known male resident who was instrumental in promoting the development of the area, and whose nickname is “Typee”.
Following the passage of Hurricane Tomas in October 2010, which caused catastrophic damage to many areas across Saint Lucia, the neighbourhood suffered damage due to a landslide. The Government of Taiwan subsequently sponsored the construction of the lengthy footpath that now leads from the main road into the steep terrained community.
After a decade of serving residents in the area, the footpath, stairs and facilities now need to be strengthened. Hon. Dr. Albert-Poyotte, who is currently the Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau, plans to have the footpath power-washed by this year-end.
Hon. Reynolds, who served as Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau from 2011 to 2016, said the footpath has made life easier for the residents. She stated that many of them experienced great difficulty getting to and from their homes located along the hilly terrain following the landslide in 2010 that made the area virtually impassable.
“Taiwan has touched people’s lives,” Hon. Reynolds told Ambassador Chen during the tour last Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Chen assured both Hon. Dr. Albert-Poyotte and Hon. Reynolds that the Taiwanese Embassy will continue to work with the Government and people of Saint Lucia to elevate their living standards and livelihoods.