Constitution Park Expo Adds To Kweyol Activities

A two day  Business Creative Industries & Cultural Exchange Expo added to the hustle and bustle of the city of Castries over the weekend. The event was held on  Friday at Constitution Park and also added another dimension to Kweyol activities for Creole Heritage Month here in Saint Lucia.

The event brought together exhibitors from Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe and Martinique. It offered a cultural mix from Saint Lucia and the French Antilles with folk bands from the three islands as well as Calypsonians from Saint Lucia setting the tone. A taste of Saint Lucia’s two flower festivals La Rose and La Marguerite and local food were also part of the expo.

One of the coordinators of the expo, Phillip Sydney told St. Lucia Times that this was a revival of an initiative that was started several years ago.

“About twenty five years ago the Ministry of Agriculture collaborated with the Saint Lucia French Territories Association to get Saint Lucia agro processors and other persons involved in an agriculture and cultural exhibition in Riviere Pilote in Martinique,” Sydney explained.

Back then a contingent of ninety -eight, including exhibitors, manufacturers, small businesses, artistes and performers travelled to Martinique for the event.

“After a short lull in the event, the association headed by Theresa Samuel approached the Minister for Local Government, Richard Frederick who directed her to the Mayor of Castries Geraldine Lendor and the Mayor has since taken on the responsibility to sponsor the Saint Lucian contingent in 2022 and 2023 to Martinique and again this year we are here in Saint Lucia, which is what is happening here,” Sydney informed us.

We were also told that originally Cayenne was supposed to be part of the expo, but due to unforeseen circumstances, could not make it.

“What we have on show this weekend are thirteen groups from Martinique and Guadeloupe and thirteen from Saint Lucia exhibiting their various products,” Sydney said.

One of the Saint Lucia exhibitors was Serita Alcee of MelanAid, a company specialising in holistic alkaline products. “These products are for healing, for reversing and preventing diseases and include MelanAid smoothies and Icicles, all sea-moss base, organic and with natural ingredients,” Alcee says.

The three-year old company also produces herb supplements, a skin care line and a mineralising tooth- paste.

The expo Alcee said was a wonderful experience.

“This was a good initiative to bring us together with our French counterparts. It is a good platform to share and exchange ideas and they also have lots of products as well that we can try to source by capitalizing on making contacts while they are here,” she said.

Lynda Francisque is from CariCreole in the French Territories. Her display featured reading material in Kweyol including comic books for children and adults among other items.

“It is very important for us to encourage our children to read about the similar experiences of our cultures as well as the differences,” Francisque shares.

She was also elated that the teaching of Kweyol had commenced in Saint Lucian schools and hoped that the necessary resources are being put in place for its continuance.

“I am very happy to be here at this time as you are celebrating Jounen Kweyol and would like to see that the language gets to the stage where it is truly institutionalized and that the Kweyol identity is promoted in the workplace and in schools,” she said.

The Business Creative Industries & Cultural Exchange Expo also saw the ceremonial twinning of the city of Castries with the town of Rivière-Pilote, in Martinique.

The event was a collaborative effort of the Department of Housing and Local Government, the Castries Constituency Council, the Association Ste Lucia Territoires Francais Des Ameriques and the Embassy of France to the Eastern Caribbean States Barbados and the OECS.