Discovering the Riches of Suriname

Published 04/25/2023 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Sarah Deonarain | 04/25/2023

Since May 2022, I have interned in the Executive Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Strategy & Futures Team, where I work to build a more agile, anticipatory UNDP that embraces complexity, actively manages risk, is alert to the trends and changes of an uncertain world, continually adapts, and seeks to learn alongside delivering results.

As part of my research at the UNDP, I travelled in February 2023 to Suriname to investigate and collect signals, or phenomena that may be significant to the future development of this nation, and identify ongoing trends, whether cultural, economic, environmental, social, political, or technological. Weak signals are “the first sign of an emerging phenomenon that may be significant in the future” (Hiltunen 2010), whereas a trend is a visible change we can already observe with substantial evidence. My findings generated lively discussion with UNDP peers about how we tend to overlook cultural, environmental, and social trends, like encouraging work-life balance, promoting ecotourism and conservation, reckoning with colonial history and remnants today (especially locally), and embracing diversity, and are more alert to political or macroeconomic trends in developing countries that shape narratives we tell, like protests, changes in government, inflation, and unemployment, which were prevalent in my work. A key mission of the Milken Institute and the Milken Family Foundation is to advance the world’s progress on discovering the path (or paths) to meaningful life for those in developing countries and prepare the world for what’s coming next, and my trip to Suriname, graciously supported by the Milken Institute and the Milken Family Foundation, helped me uncover such paths and conceive of a future where Suriname’s culture and terrain are preserved as it progresses.

On Saturday, February 18th, anticipation grew throughout the day for the trip to Suriname I would embark on shortly. My family had received word that there were protests in the capital, Paramaribo, adding a new layer of anxiety. We had not visited Suriname and our family there in 7 years, and we were not sure what to expect. What has changed? What would we recognize? Being passionate about international development, I was curious about any progress the country had made, such as new infrastructure or growth in the economy, seen through the presence of new industries or sectors. However, the rioting, looting, and storming of Suriname’s Congress that took place during the protests on Saturday, much like what we witnessed on January 6th in our own nation, were a reminder of the impact of the pandemic on nations like Suriname, where inflation, poverty, unemployment, lack of opportunity, and an assortment of other maladies were wreaking havoc on its citizens. These signals, notably the protests, suggested an uncertain future for the nation politically, socially, and economically. Despite the realities of travelling to a nation recovering from the pandemic and the global recession it caused, I was excited, bracing myself for the first tastes, sights, and smells of a land I had not seen in many years. I was most thrilled to return to a place where I would feel completely at home, from the languages spoken (such as Dutch, Surinamese Hindustani, and Sranan Tongo in my family) to the food, music, landscape, and history. After three flights, I finally exited the plane and set foot on the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport.

Immediately, the smell of the chulha filled my nostrils – a smell I recognized from my nani’s (grandma’s) backyard, where she cooks on an open fire. As the plane was landing and I stepped onto the airport, I could see nothing but forest for miles – swathes and swathes of lush green and pristine beauty. “The most forested country in the world,” the airport touted. Indeed, Suriname invests and cares a great deal about its precious tropical rainforest ecosystem, being part of the Amazon. On the drive to my cousin’s house in Paramaribo, I saw extensive vegetation, agriculture, and farming, sidewalk street vendors and markets selling all kinds of snacks and foods like peanut, banana, and plantain chips, butter cookies, whole dried fish, and other fried and packaged goods unique to the country. I even saw one Popeyes restaurant, the only American fast food chain so far! Fruit trees, such as mango, coconut, and native fruits like sapota and star apple lined driveways and roads and filled fields that stretched for miles, where cows and other animals grazed.

We drove past mosques, Hindu temples, and churches on the 5-hour journey to my grandparents’ home, which reflected the religious diversity of the country, and we saw landmarks like Suriname’s White House and forest of palm trees, called Palmentuin, in Paramaribo. Shops were shuttered early on this late Monday afternoon, since people here prioritize work-life balance and family time, such as eating out together and creating space for visitors and the unexpected – a very different lifestyle from the United States. Beneath gorgeous blue skies, rippling white clouds, and stunning sunsets, I felt I had entered a whole new world. The regular interaction with nature, being so close to it and outnumbered by it, was new and refreshing. Nature is inherently part of life and architecture here. It is inescapable, and life is built around it and through it. Not only do most people make a living off the land here, but they also deeply appreciate nature, like soaking in the sun on hammocks and intentionally including nature in their homes.

We passed through several states along the northern shore – from Paramaribo through Wanica, Saramacca, and Coronie – before reaching Nickerie, the district where my family lives. These states have different ethnic makeups, notably people of African, Indian, and Javanese descent (the three major groups, all brought over by the Dutch during colonialism), and they also preserve historical monuments and structures from the country’s colonial era. Coronie is known for its rice fields. In Nickerie, given its proximity to the Nickerie River, many people are fishers and sailors. Carpentry is another sector where people are often employed.

Upon arriving in Nickerie, I was immediately surprised by the wildlife of the district – frogs, lizards, insects and flying critters, owls, and even snakes were a regular part of life here. A frog even made an appearance in my bathroom – thrice! Due to some sinus pressure I was having after the flights, I made a trip to the local doctor’s office, where I saw how community-based healthcare is here and how familiar doctors are with the families that have lived here for generations. Everyone knows everyone, as I saw kindergarten and childhood friends and parents of the neighborhood kids recognize my mom when she was walking down the street.

I delighted in several cups of green, red, yellow, and orange Fernandes soda on my first day in Nickerie, the favorite national brand for bread, ice cream, and soda. The Fernandes company used to produce in Suriname before its factories burned down, and now that it's operating out of Trinidad and Tobago, there is usually the occasional one-week shortage of its beloved products that sends the nation into a temporary frenzy. It’s truly delicious in the heat and at any time of the day!

Continuing with the theme of food, food is very important in Suriname. It reflects the history and fusion culture of the nation, including Dutch, Javanese, Indian, and African influences. From moksi alesi (an African-inspired beans, rice, and chicken dish, originating during slavery in Suriname) to broodbeleg (a Dutch dish of bread with many different topping and combinations, such as chicken shawarma or eggs and cheese, commonly eaten for breakfast), I deeply enjoyed every bite. For Indian-inspired cuisine, I ate roti (a type of flatbread); bara and phulauri (fried spicy donuts); samosa and lumpia (which is actually Javanese, but made with Indian spices); chicken pastei , bitterball, and croquette (which are also actually European, but made with Indian spices); Indian sim (a type of green bean) and potato curry, dhal, hassa fish curry, chicken curry, halwa (a semolina pudding), and ambrosia met orgeade (a fruit cocktail with almond syrup). We also explored Javanese-inspired cuisine, such as bami (an elaborate, saucy noodle dish), bakabana and pindasaus (fried, sweet plantains with peanut sauce), saoto soep (an exquisite ginger and lemongrass-flavored soup with egg, chicken, onion and potato crisps, sambal ketjap (spicy soy sauce), and bean sprouts), satay and pindasaus (chicken skewers with peanut sauce), nasi goreng (an elaborate fried rice), wajid (sticky, sweet rice cake), and dawet (like bubble tea, but with coconut milk, lemongrass, and tapioca). Other delectables included cassava pone (an Indigenous yuca cake), worst (flavorful Dutch sausages), and tjauw min or chowmein as Americans know it, which is Chinese-inspired. I watched my nani bustle around the kitchen, making many of these delicious dishes, while listening to the local radio station (“Ishara”), which reported in Dutch and Surinamese Hindustani and played old Indian songs from the 50s-80s.

In my nani’s backyard on the first night, I stared up at the violet midnight sky and saw so many stars – something I rarely see in New York City, where light pollution dims the night sky. I awoke to a hot, sunny day and played cricket in the mud with my younger cousins, soaking in the ambience and music of tropical rain and singing birds. At the town market, I saw all the different products and vendors, including a wet market where fresh fish was sold, and enjoyed sweet ices. We toured historical slave masters' houses from the colonial era and government buildings, and visited a local grocery store, where we saw more products (some of them from the Netherlands, and interestingly, Suriname and the Netherlands continue to maintain strong ties), like stroop (various kinds of syrups used in desserts and drinks), fritessaus (a special French fry mayonnaise), hazella (like Nutella), vla (Dutch vanilla pudding), and cumin kaas (cheese).