Suriname Study Tour Day 2

Our day started early with breakfast at 6:30am. Today’s menu reflected the same authenticity as yesterday’s. There was an assortment of breads, smoked herring and curried pork. The highlight was a cheese that was embedded with a herb that tasted like curry. After breakfast, we loaded into the maxi and started our journey to Alliance. Accompanying us on the trip were Ms. Farida Augustin, Mr. Peter Laan, both Dutch interns at the Suriname Business Centre (SBC), and Mr. Winston Weilson of the SBC.



Mr. Wielson 



As we entered the city, it was quite interesting to see the section where the buildings were of a standard architectural design, Dutch Colonial, giving the illusion of being in a completely different place.  As we drove further along, we entered what seemed to be the shopping district. There were a lot of businesses, clothing stores, restaurants, car dealerships and supermarkets, most of them seemingly Chinese-owned.

We were astonished by the engineering design of the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, which rose over the Suriname River. As we drew closer to our destination, we noticed that the structure of the houses changed from flat concrete designs to two-storey wooden ones. Our ride comprised two phases: the first was a one hour drive; the second saw us on a one-hour journey via boat down the Suriname River to Alliance.

The boad on the Suriname River

       

The ride was quite enjoyable, from the rush to get to the side of the boat without sun, to the unexpected waves that attempted to bathe us. During the boat ride, we were entertained with music of all genres. Then, all of a sudden, the engine sputtered and stopped. The pilot then had to choose between music and continuing along; we continued along without music.

On our way to Alliance

Before going to Alliance we stopped off at Baki, where we visited a small museum located in a primary school. This contained historical artefacts that gave an insight into the rich cultural heritage of the Surinamese people.

Dutch Colonial History

                                                             
The plantation’s museum showed convincing signs that globalization was taking place even long before the term itself was coined. Globalization is a multi-national system of communication and integration driven by information technology among people, companies, and governments.

Both the Baki and Alliance plantations were producing agricultural products such as bananas, cocoa and citrus since the 17^th century during Dutch colonization. Additionally, archives showed patents awarded for the plantation’s innovation during the 18^th century. The multiple cultures that were brought to the plantations also brought their cultures, ideologies and associated trade ties from their lands of origin. There are signs that globalization is still occurring today. Foreign investment, having a Facebook page and a bi-lingual website (http://www.warappakreek.com/?lang=en) are indicators of this. The eco-resort has between 300-400 visitors per weekend, from regional and international visitors - an indication that their outward reach is successful.

Alliance Sunshine Plantation

                                                         

When our group visited the Alliance Sunshine Plantation, we did not know what to expect. Located along the bank of the Suriname River was one of the most innovative and self-sustained farming communities we have experienced. On our arrival at Alliance, we were greeted with much-needed lunch, hungry from our long journey. This time the menu included Saoto (a soup made with noodles, bean sprouts, chicken and egg) Bami, (Javanese noodles), fried rice with strips of egg, grated potato fried and cooked in a sweet and pepper sauce, kiustband, a green string bean and a pepper sauce made from sweetened roasted peppers known as sambal.

After lunch, to our surprise, we were treated to a tour of the citrus plantation, on a tractor. There are 2,100 hectares of land at the plantation, but only 100 hectares are being used. This is in part due to a shortage of labour. It was interesting to see how knowledgeable the farmers were about their trade.

Enjoying the Tractor Tour at Alliance

                                                         

When looking at areas in which the community applies technology, we were impressed by the methods used by the farmers to effectively utilize their resources. For example, this community obtains its own electricity by using dams to generate hydroelectric power for the village. This energy is then used to power their homes, water treatment plant and generally any other power requirement.

This community, however, has room for improvement in the area of science and technology in order for them to become sustainable in the long run. On analyzing the existing technologies used on the plantation, we recognized potential applications that could be used for expansion of their hydro-electric processing. This would be the most appropriate and inexpensive method of energy generation due to the abundant supply of water from the Suriname River. Not only will this assist with the development of the community, it will also provide a future avenue for revenue generation for Suriname.

Like many CARICOM countries, Suriname is aiming to increase its food security; it is, therefore, imperative to build and maintain their agricultural sector in as sustainable a manner as possible. Today’s trip highlighted the unique challenges that agriculture poses to sustainability. The residents of Alliance are tasked with maintaining citrus production, while protecting the Suriname River. In addition to this, they must satisfy the community’s needs, and compete with increasingly strong global forces. This visit provided a clear understanding of how community initiatives and the resulting downstream cottage industries can be developed to stimulate the local economy. To use the bathroom facilities we paid 2 SRD, also the meal cost 15 SRD, there was a price attached to everything and this is how they made their living. In a situation such as this, the greatest challenge lies in working with the youth; investing in developing their skill base while developing a community which is supportive and attractive to the younger generation. 

The spirit of entrepreneurship is alive in Suriname. This was evident when we visited Alliance. This name was given to symbolize the co-operation that exists between all member villages. The combined population of these villages is approximately 110 people.  The working population of Alliance is predominantly employed by the government in the citrus fields. In an effort to earn extra income, they have found some innovative ways of accomplishing this. They do this by opening their villages to visitors allowing them view their Museum and use amenities at the site for an additional cost. Also visitors can enjoy a local cuisine and dining accommodations at reasonable cost by the villagers.

At the end of our tour of Alliance, on our way back we realised that there was another boat docked at the jetty waiting to load produce for transportation. We were then informed by someone awaiting transportation of the first-docked first- leave policy. At this point, the IIEM boys jumped into action offloading the produce from the truck and onto the boat so that we could all board and depart. Hats off to Ronald who championed the cause. He jumped onto the truck and facilitated the quick and effective offloading. Both Ronald and his group were then rewarded with three beastly cold 1.5-litre Coca-Colas. He was received with much applause by the rest of the group.

IIEM Group hard at work

                                                     

We then set off on our very long journey back to the hotel. Join us tomorrow as we share our experiences from our visits to the Suriname Business Centre, the Chamber of Commerce and the Suriname Trade & Industry Association.