Women and their families in rural communities on the Caribbean island of St Lucia have worked the land to provide sustenance for generations. With the help of Helen’s Daughters, they are now being given the tools and knowledge to take that to the next level, and enterprise is flourishing.
Helen’s Daughters is a non-profit organisation established in 2016 by Keithlin Caroo to support women in rural areas, teaching them the techniques and methods to build successful businesses in the farming industry so that the land feeds their families and provides vital additional income.
The social enterprise has provided training and support to thousands of female farmers across the Caribbean
, helping to end cycles of poverty in underserved rural communities. One of the seasoned farmers helping to inspire and educate others is Helena Thomas.
Helena has been farming her family’s land in Babonneau, just 8.5km from the St Lucian capital of Castries, since she was in her teens, following in her mother’s footsteps. Having absorbed all her mother’s lessons and wisdom, Helena learned to make the most of what she had. For the last 40 years, she has been growing and selling her organic produce at the market in nearby Castries during times of abundance.
Part of the Helen’s Daughters initiative includes an agri-tourism experience demonstrating the program’s work. Entitled Mother Nature’s Way, the guided tour takes visitors around Helena’s farm, where she explains what the different medicinal plants are traditionally used for and talks about the wide variety of fruits and vegetables which grow cheek-by-jowl on her land.
Helena speaks with great passion about her farm and community and what the project means to the women it supports. Her positive, resilient attitude is an inspiration, as she recounts harvests that have been plentiful and produced profits, which allowed her to reinvest and improve the farm alongside others which have been woeful and only provided enough to feed her family.
After a stroll through the wonderfully lush, tranquil farm, visitors can sample freshly picked and prepared fruits grown on-site. Other fresh produce, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and preserves, can be purchased, and profits go to support this vital, wholesome project, which is transforming women’s lives every day.
Mother Nature’s Way Tour: prices from £19 per person
