IN THE PRESS
As part of the Island Innovation series, today I interview Keithlin Caroo, the founder of Saint Lucian non-profit Helen's Daughters. This NGO has a special focus on rural women’s economic development through improved market access, adaptive agricultural techniques, and capacity-building. Helen’s Daughters was formed in 2016 in a winning proposal for UN Women’s Empower Women Champions for Change Program.
phrase “men are farmers” from some of the most unlikely places, even the NGOs that are supposed to support gender equality do not consider women to be involved in agriculture.
the market represents so much more- I view it as the meeting place of the largest number of agro-entrepreneurs on island. And for many including myself, it was the place of business for many of our relatives.
In countries, such as St. Lucia, where tourism is the main driving agent of the economy, governments, civil society and NGOs are now turning to ways to promote their countries as a destination of choice while trying to maintain an environment for sustainable development. However, this is not always the case, particularly in the agricultural context where the challenges of food-sourcing from local farmers is considerable but not at all impossible.
