On 18th – 19th July 2017 five Caribbean ladies on the Costa Rica learning exchange were treated to a welcome cultural presentation in the community of Chomes, arranged by the mollusk gatherers. During the tour the women learnt about the conflict with a private shrimp aquaculture farm and the problems faced in terms of tenure and access rights.
The mollusk cooperative has managed to procure everything needed to open a restaurant known as “Soda” in Costa Rica. Everything except permission from the Ministry to run electricity in the establishment. The unnecessary turn around has frustrated the women leaders but they are not going to give up.
Ms. Kasha Walker (Grenada) and the other participants wrote an open letter to the relevant authority “We are fighting for the complete realization of women’s rights. It is disheartening that the women are denied permission to receive electricity, yet other nearby facilities of the area are benefiting from electricity.”
