In the Saramaccan community, there is still a traditional division of roles.
Don’t shoot the messenger…
The women cook, wash and take care of the children.
The men sail, build, do carpentry… and chill.
In many places around the world, that is still completely normal. In the Netherlands, of course, things are very different.
So I’m joining in. The Dutch way. Fully modern.
And they love it.
I get a lot of smiles. Or maybe they’re just laughing at me 😉
As an entrepreneur, you have to adapt. Join in. Try everything.
I also walked through the village by myself. Everyone lives in small wooden huts and everyone greets you kindly. It really is a close-knit community that you walk through as an outsider. A place where I don’t really belong and that I would otherwise never experience.
That is exactly what makes it so special.
It has shown me once again that life is often about something very simple: joining in. Just doing it.
Discover the world. Be curious.
I want to experience every village celebration here too. I don’t care how tired I am. I will probably never experience this again.
What also stands out to me is that mainly very young and very old people live here. Many young adults move to Paramaribo to build their future there.
Deeper into the jungle, there are apparently also Indigenous communities. They are said to have taught the Saramaccan people how to survive in the jungle after their ancestors, who had escaped slavery, found freedom in the rainforest.
I wonder how long these authentic communities will continue to exist in a world that is changing faster and faster.
What a beautiful place.
I have learned an incredible amount here in just a few days.
Has anyone here ever experienced something like this?
Watch the video here!
