Approximately 75 young Saint Lucians spent part of their summer discovering how agriculture, culture, tourism and traditional knowledge can be transformed into opportunities for entrepreneurship and community development.
The 2026 Fond St. Jacques Summer Camp, held from July 13 to 24 under the theme “From Roots to Revenue: Growing Fond St. Jacques Through Youth Innovation,” brought together participants aged seven to 18 from Fond St. Jacques and the wider Soufriere community.
Through workshops, field visits and team activities, participants gained practical exposure to agriculture and agritourism, entrepreneurship, tourism, leadership, innovation, culture and heritage.
Camp facilitator and Social Transformation Officer for Soufriere and Choiseul, Nathan Deterville, said the programme was designed to combine practical learning with community pride.
“The camp sought to empower participants through hands-on learning in agriculture and agritourism, entrepreneurship, culture and heritage, tourism development, innovation, creativity, leadership and community pride,” Deterville said.
Preserving traditional knowledge was also a major focus of the programme. Director of Social Transformation, Tanzia Toussaint, said organisers recognised that valuable community skills were gradually being lost and wanted to ensure they were passed on to younger generations.
“The summer camp was very strategic this year. We recognized that certain traditional skills within our communities were gradually being lost, and we wanted to ensure that these skills were passed on to our young people in Saint Lucia,” Toussaint said.
The initiative was implemented through collaboration between the Fond St. Jacques Development Committee and the Department of Equity, Social Justice, Gender and Older Persons, through the Community Services Unit, with support from the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF).
By encouraging participants to view their culture, heritage and local resources as foundations for innovation and economic opportunity, the programme aims to help develop a new generation of entrepreneurs and community leaders capable of contributing to the future of Fond St. Jacques, Soufriere and Saint Lucia.
