SUZANA & NAVIA
(the reason navia is there is because when i went to take the photo
susana said she was 'feelin' fat' so stuck her sister in front!
too funny!)
Susanna was born and raised here in Roatan, in fact she is a third generation islander who grew up on the land where the airport runway is today. There have been many changes on this island over the years but one thing remains: Susanna is as creative now as she was as a child!!
She starting making things at the age of 8. There were not any after school classes to learn crafts, so Susanna is grateful for the people who came into her life and passed on the art of jewellery making. She learned macramé and the art of twisting wire from a lady from Argentina and how to make bracelets from a man from Chile. It brings her great joy to see someone wearing something that she has made.
You will notice that she uses coconut shell in her collection. She buys those from people in prison who spend their hours cutting and sanding it down. She feels good about helping them since it gives them extra money to buy food while they are serving time in jail (yes, people in prison here often don’t get fed!).
I asked her what is the most amazing thing she ever made and she told me she made a beautiful large hand embroidered bedspread which took her over a year to do. Did she sell it? No, she presented it as a gift to her mother, who in classic Roatan hospitality gave away it to a lady who was visiting. It is one of the things I love about Roatan: people are so giving and kind.
I hope that you will help support Suzana by buying some of her work. It will be such a blessing to her as she is working hard to take care of her dear little son working and living in West End.
