Story

Indigenous and Tribal People of Suriname welcome UN Women Caribbean and FAO to their villages

15 January 2024

An Indigenous woman of Suriname is seen wearing traditional clothing under a thatched roof — Caption: Chief Wendy Sabajo of Matta welcomes the delegation to the village.

Photo: © UN Resident Coordinator Office/ Hedwig de la Fuente

This brings the organisation one step closer to implementing the Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood Programme.

November 28, 2023 - Under a programme to build resilience and improve livelihoods, officers of UN Women MCO Caribbean and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) delegation were recently welcomed by Indigenous and Tribal People (ITP) in the villages of Matta and Atjoni. The mission visit was under the SDG Fund Joint Programme “Leaving No One Behind, Building Resilience, and Improving Livelihoods of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ITPs) in Suriname.”

The SDG Fund Joint Programme is aimed at integrated policy solutions to enable inclusion, build resilience, and improve livelihoods among Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ITPs) in Suriname.

The UN Women component is focused on improved livelihoods and enhanced food security of women and girls within the targeted ITPs communities by 2023. It’s meant to help the communities restart or find new income-generating activities given the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to develop their financial resilience, and safeguard food production and food security. Skills training in more productive and sustainable agricultural practices and coaching will be provided to the communities.

Six people stand in a line infront of two branded backdrops — Caption: The delegation of the SDG Fund Joint Programme team that visited Suriname on the mission. L-R FAO representatives Naylan Dwarika- Communications Officer, Janelle Joe - Assistant Representative of Programmes, Nicole Darmanie - Project Officer and UN Women MCO Caribbean officers Je’nille Maraj - Planning Coordination Specialist, Letitia Nicholas- Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and Shelly Dolabaille, Communications Analyst.

Photo: © UN Resident Coordinator Office/ Hedwig de la Fuente

The joint programme will also address the feminization of poverty by supporting rural women to become small-holder farmers and agri-preneurs. This Integrated Rural Development Initiative will also address the multi-dimensionality of gender equality issues in this sector: unequal access to land and land/business ownership; discrimination in access to resources, neglected disaster and climate change proofing of women livelihoods in this sector; gender-blindness of public policy, and key skills development for growth and income security.

Ahead of the visit, the delegation met with village chiefs and council members of VIDs, adhering to the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which is essential for collaborative efforts with ITPs.

People sit on chairs in a circle under a thatched roof with indigenous artefacts visible — Caption: Villagers take part in the needs assessment focus group, openly sharing their experiences with UN Women MCO Caribbean staff.

Photo: © UN Resident Coordinator Office/ Hedwig de la Fuente

The mission included a visit to Matta, an Indigenous Village and to Atjoni, a tribal village. Needs assessment focus groups were conducted with the ITPs to gain insight to inform the project design and implementation schedule.

The Matta people welcomed the delegation into their communal hut, which became a forum for dialogue, where the purpose of the joint programme was discussed, and the needs assessment conducted, fostering a deeper understanding of the specific requirements of ITP women and girls.

The field visit to Matta featured not only discussions but also immersive experiences, including a tour of a pineapple field and the showcasing of Indigenous craft and jewelry, available for purchase.

A member of an Indigenous community walks alongside a UN Women representative. — Caption: Permanent Secretary Pavion Hermien, Directorate of Agriculture (left) and Chief Wendy Sabajo (right) along with delegation members trekking to the pineapple field in Matta.

Photo: © UN Resident Coordinator Office/ Hedwig de la Fuente

Six people stand in an outdoor setting with two standing banners in the middle — Caption: Part of the delegation are pictured here in front of the river in the tribal village of Atjoni. In the background, the exposed riverbed is visible due to low water levels

Photo: © UN Resident Coordinator Office/ Hedwig de la Fuente

Caption: Je’nille Maraj, Planning Coordination Specialist at UN Women MCO Caribbean is aided by a translator to facilitate the focus group in Atjoni.

Photo: © UN Resident Coordinator Office/ Hedwig de la Fuente

The delegation also met with representatives from the Ministry of Regional Development and Sports, including Permanent Secretaries from relevant Directorates as part of a comprehensive approach to learning about and providing support for the specific needs of ITP women and girls.