COVID-19 Relief Fund for Communities in Suriname
Call for action!
During the calls with the different leaders of the communities in South Suriname, they mentioned a need for food supplies, because the cassava harvests were bad especially in the villages Apetina, Palumeu and Tepu. Because of the restriction of flights to the interior, it is very difficult for the people from all the villages to get food and other crucial supplies from the city. Mothers of (newborn) children who depend on nutrition from the city (baby milk powder) to feed can’t acquire these supplies, because there are no regular flights and supporting family members in the city are limited by the lockdown measurements. Until last month the villages received food supplies from the government and political parties, but the elections are over and the communities don’t expect to receive support from the government and political parties in the coming period.
Currently the communities are expecting support and guidance from the TWTIS partners during this difficult situation. To maintain trust and a good base for further collaboration it is important that the conservation organizations that work in the different communities stay connected with the villages and support with the most crucial things where possible. It is also important to be clear that we are not equipped to support with everything but that we support with what is in our possibilities to bring some relief.
In addition to the various challenges that COVID-19 poses for the indigenous communities in southern Suriname (vulnerability to contamination, availability of food, etc.), they now have to contend with flooding as a result of high water levels as an additional challenge. The agricultural plots have been flooded, the risk of disease outbreaks cannot be ruled out. Some impressions from the village of Pelelu Tepu.
The indigenous people in the south remain informed about the developments surrounding the Corona virus.
Anticipating the possible spread of the Coronavirus in southern Suriname, the indigenous people are turning to traditional knowledge in the field of herbs. As a precautionary measure, the traditional clinics (on their own initiative) already started in April to make the communities resilient by making immune boosting drinks available according to their knowledge and culture. For example, the drinks "wataki" and "weweïme" were made in large numbers and offered to the villagers with the hope that increased resistance will also minimize the risk of other diseases.
South Suriname
The Trio and Wajana Indigenous Peoples settled along the rivers of the South Suriname forest and now live in nine permanent settlements or villages, Amotopo, Apetina, Coeroeni, Kawemhakan, Kwamalasamutu, Palumeu, Tepu, Sipaliwini, Alalapadu, ranging from 10-750 members each, totaling 3,000 people. These indigenous communities are highly dependent on the forest for their basic needs – food, water, shelter, medicines and building materials – and have limited leverage on the future of the forest in which they live.
Despite differences in history and language, the Trio and Wajana peoples decided in the early 2000’s to join forces to deal with the Surinamese government. But the lack of authority of the Indigenous chiefs outside their villages highlighted the need for an umbrella organization that would allow both peoples to unite their voices and defend their interests. Tarëno Wajana Tïnonokon Ikurumane Soire Weinje (TWTIS), “Trio and Wajana Protect Land and Nature in Suriname,” was established in 2015, after a 2-year consultation process led by Conservation International Suriname (CIS) and partners – WWF Guianas, Amazon Conservation Team Suriname (ACT) and the Organization of Indigenous peoples in Suriname (OIS)- with Trio and Wajana communities, resulting in the creation and signing of the Indigenous Declaration for Protection of 7.2 million hectares of pristine tropical forest (in South Suriname) which needs to be considered in all activities in this area. The Indigenous Declaration for Protection is built around 5 pillars:
1- Development of leadership and culture,
2- Sustainable development,
3- Finance,
4- Protection of their land,
5- and a Balanced community.
Matawai
The Matawai Maroons are residing in ten villages along the upper Saramacca River of Central Suriname, Vertrouwen, Boslanti, Piettie, Wanhatti, Tevreden, Pusugrunu (seat of the upper Chief of the Matawai), Bethel, Pniel, Padua, Soekibaka. The Matawai subsist primarily on fishing, agriculture, and hunting, although participating in trade and markets in Suriname’s capital city of Paramaribo has been commonplace since the early days as well.
The Matawai community is CI’s partner since 2015, working together on nature conservation and sustainable economic development with alternative livelihoods to prevent community members to surrender to unstainable actions such as goldmining and logging.
ACT has been working with the Matawai community along the upper Saramacca river since 2014, with a focus on participatory cartography and spatial planning. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Granman of the Matawai to establish a formal working relationship with the entire Matawai community.
Due to isolation of the COVID-19 measures, it has been indicated that food scarcity is a pressing issue in Matawai. On the basis of the needs raised, ACT-Suriname was pleased to hand over a donation in the form of packages (food and bio-safety) to the cabinet of the Head chief of the Matauriërs on Tuesday 26 May.