Srefidensi!
Today 25th of November is the official Independence Day of Suriname!!!
It marks the 45th birthday of the country I grew up in!
It's technically a joyous occasion and it's grounds to celebrate the progress Suriname had made. There is a lot to be proud of and a lot of potential still untapped.
On the other hand its sad to see the economic situation and I would understand why some people wouldn't see this as a day to celebrate at all...
The history is complex as there is always a group with Suriname that feels that we were /are better off getting back into the Dutch kingdom (we were a colony of the Netherlands). But as the years go by that seems less likely and less possible...
So we have to do it ourselves... That's the reality! Another part of the reality it obviously hasn't gone that well in recent years and that changes need to be made if we're ever going to get back to a better economic situation.
Now to make matters even more complicated for me personally is.... I don't live in Suriname... I live in Curaçao (which is the other side of my roots).
So it becomes increasingly difficult for me to know exactly what's going on and what needs to be done. Sure I have contacts, visit 2 a year, I get all the news, but I'm not there daily.
And on a much more personal levels it's days like this where I realize how much I miss being there.
All I know is, Suriname will always have a special place in my heart. And I will do what I can to help the country in my own way and whenever I get the chance...
Happy birthday Suriname 🇸🇷...
Lobi ❤️