Ethnicities Magazine - Volume 3 - September Issue

Between the Gift,
the Purpose and a
Grand Ecstasy
of Color
Fashion Designer
from Colon
Jean C. Quijano
Pag. 33
People - Origins - Cultures & more
Get to know
the creator of
MultiKulti
Izmir Henry
Pag. 43
Volume 3 - September 2016 | www.ethnicitiesmagazine.com

CONTENT
Editorial Letter..........................................................................2
By Keila Moreno Salazar, B.A.
Gingivitis...............................................................................3-6
By: Dr. Vania Barrow
CEMP’s Activities Report..............................................7-11
By Cecilia Moreno Rojas, B.A.
Strengthening Leadership and Identity of
Afro-descendant Woman..........................................13-14
By Cecilia Moreno Rojas, B.A.
Cooking for an Ambrassador...................................15-16
By Chef Isaac Villaverde
Food and it’s relationship with
health condition.............................................................17-18
By Nutritionist Veronica Hidalgo
19
Strengthening Commercial and roots
relationship between Panama and Barbados
Strengthening Commercial and roots relationship
between Panama and Barbados.............................19-31
By: Keila Moreno Salazar, B.A.
Between the Gift, the Purpose and a Grand Ecstasy
of Color with Jean Carlos Quijano..........................33-41
By: Keila Moreno Salazar, B.A.
MULTI KULTI by Izmir Henry....................................43-44
By: Keila Moreno Salazar, B.A.
Be Bold, Be Afro-Chic..................................................46-50
By: Ninna Marie Ottey, B.A.
Peter Williams’s Secret...............................................52-54
By: Andres Villa, B.A.
From Addiction to Purpose.......................................55-57
By: Attorney Hannah Soesman Olmberg
33
Jean Quijano
A Color Ecstasy
Do you know who Granville Woods was?..................59
By: Keila de Moreno Salazar, B.A.
Why black people don’t want to be black in
Panama?.........................................................................60-64
By: Leonel Góndola, B.A.
43
1
**Ethnicities Magazine investigates the seriousness of their
advertisers, but is not responsible with related offers they do.
The opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect
the position of editor of the publication. total or partial reproduction
of the content and images of the publication without
prior authorization of Ethnicities Magazine is strictly prohibited.
Izmir Henry
Multi Kulti brand creator

PRESIDENT & EDITOR IN CHIEF
Keila Moreno Salazar
info@ethnicitiesmagazine.com
MAGAZINE DESIGN
Stephany Salazar
stephany.salazar20@gmail.com
PICTURES
Afroraíces
Mambriche
www.pexels.com
www.freepik.com
Ethnicities Magazine
Harris Business Enterprises S.A.
United States Embassy
COVER AND MAIN INTERVIEW
PICTURES
Ethnicities Magazine
Armando Escapa
Bleca Jc
DISTRIBUTION AND PR
Keila Moreno Salazar
SEPTEMBER COLUMNISTS
Cecilia Moreno Rojas, B.A.
Chef Isaac Villaverde
Leonel Góndola, B.A.
Ninna Marie Ottie, B.A.
Dr. Vania Barrow
Nutritionist Verónica Hidalgo
Andrés Villa, B.A.
Attorney Hannah Olmberg
Keila Moreno Salazar, B.A.
CONTENT REVIEW AND CORRECTIONS
Keila Moreno Salazar
Stephany Salazar
WEB MASTER
Keila Moreno Salazar
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Keila Moreno Salazar
ONLINE MAGAZINE PLATFORM
www.yumpu.com
WEBSITE
www.ethnicitiesmagazine.com
EDITORIAL LETTER
For this September edition,
I want to start as
I always do, first giving
thanks to the Lord and
Creator of all things for
giving me the opportunity
to deliver to you every
month interesting and
valuable content for this
magazine that make us
feel identified with each
other, and especially
thanks to each of you as
readers, since because
of you is that I do all this
work with a team of wonderful
people who contribute
every month with
Ethnicities Magazine.
I also want to take this
opportunity to announce
that Ligia Grenald and I
are no longer together
working as partners in
the magazine, but I thank God that is because she has FANTASTIC new challenges
to take care of with her SPEAK project. I ask everyone to support her on this beautiful
jorney!, So you know, if you need translations, training, or Online English classes, Ligia
Grenald is the right person. I love you sister, we had a wonderful time working together
on Magazine Ethnicities and I know you’ll still be supporting me behind scenes.
Now lets get into subject! This September edition as you could notice on the cover, we
have our beloved young designer Jean Quijano, a source of pride Panamanian and African
descent, whom I want to thank and his mother, for opening the doors of their home
to us. I invite you to read the interview I did with him. We will also had an interview with
Izmir Henry, owner of Multi Kulti Life, get to know more of this young Afro-Panamanian
entrepreneur.
I had the great opportunity to attend to the B2B between Panama and Barbados, organized
by Harris Business Enterprise, S.A. of Dr. Melida Harris Barrow, in this edition you
will find all the details of the coverage, as well as the interview I did to the Minister of
Bahamas, the Honourable Donville O. Inniss.
Again I want to thank all those who contribute every month with their writings, which are
a very important part of Ethnicities Magazine, thanks to all columnists.
I can only tell you enjoy the work we have done this month for you and ask you to send
your contributions, comments and suggestions to info@ethnicitiesmagazine.com.
Cheers,
Keila Salazar Moreno
President and Editor in Chief
Ethnicities Magazine
2

HEALTH
BLEEDING GUMS
GINGIVITIS
BY: DRA. VANIA BARROW
VaniaBarrow26@hotmail.com
If you feel sensitive gums, swollen or bleeding you may
have gingivitis. Gingivitis is a gum disease that occurs
due to poor oral hygiene. If not treated, a periodontitis
can be developed, this is a condition that causes mall
pockets to form around the teeth and consequently these
will loosen and may even lose.
Photo: freepik.es
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
GINGIVITIS AND PERIODONTITIS?
Gingivitis corresponds to the inflammation of the gums
and usually occurs before periodontitis. However, it is
important to emphasize that not always if you have gingivitis
you will then have periodontitis.
Gingivitis occurs due to the presence of tartar or plaque
that is not removed, these bacteria in plaque are those
that cause your gums to swell and bleed when you brush
At this point, although gums are irritated, teeth are firmly
anchored to the bone, that means is no irreversible loss
of bone or tissue has occurred.
When gingivitis is left untreated it can advance to periodontitis.
In a patient with periodontitis the inner layer
of the gum, meaning, the one that is in contact with the
tooth and the bone, is separated from these structures
and form small pockets around the teeth. It is then in
these pockets where more food remains accumulated
and infection can occur.
Toxins produced by bacteria in the plaque along with our
immune system enzymes begin to break or weaken the
bone that surrounds our teeth and keeps them fixed. As
the disease advances, the pockets become deeper and
the gum and bone are destroyed. When this happens
your teeth begin to loosen and then lost. The periodontitis is the primary
cause of tooth loss in adults!
3

WHAT CAUSES GUM DISEASE?
As we already mentioned, plaque accumulation due to poor oral
hygiene is the major cause of gum disease. However, there are
other factors that can contribute, these are:
* Hormonal changes such as those occurring during pregnancy
and menopause, when your gums are more sensitive and easier
to get gingivitis installed.
* Diseases such as cancer and HIV altering our immune system.
Also, patients with diabetes have a higher risk of developing periodontitis.
* Medications such as those that decrease salivary flow, because
saliva has a protective effect on our teeth and gums. Anticonvulsants
can cause gum growth which favors the accumulation
of food in this area.
* Bad habits such as smoking difficult to repair gum.
Photo:pexels.com
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GUM DISEASE?
Ethnicities Magazine friends
keep an eye on this! Gum disease
can progress painlessly
and sometimes the signs are
not so obvious; so we must
be vigilant when brushing our
teeth and check our oral cavity.
Some signs of this disease:
* Gums that bleed during or
after brushing
* Sensitive gums, red or swollen
* Bad breath and bad taste
* Tooth crowns (the visible
part of the tooth in the mouth)
apparently longer.
* Loose teeth or have changed
its position
Even if you have not
noticed these signs
that we mentioned
you can have this gum
disease as this does
not necessarily happen
in all thy mouth,
it can also affect only
some teeth. Just the
dentist or periodontist
can recognize and determine
the progression
of this disease, if
you suspect you have
it, do not hesitate to
visit them!
Photo:pexels.com
4

HEALTH
WHAT DENTISTS DO TO TREAT THIS DISEASE?
Your dentist will perform an assessment of
your mouth and schedule an appointment
for cleaning or prophylaxis as it is also
known. During the cleaning appointment all
the plaque and calculus (hard plaque) on the
visible part of your teeth will be removed,
then your teeth will be polished to leave them
smooth and remove stains! It is possible
that a probe is used to measure the pockets
around your teeth and determine if gingivitis
has come to a periodontitis! If you have
periodontitis, other appointments will be
scheduled to remove the stone and find the
bacteria that are in pockets under the gums.
Subsequently, you will be given instructions
on flossing, techniques for brushing your
teeth correctly and you will be prescribes
mouthwashes or special toothpastes.
Photo: freepik.es
HOW SHOULD YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH AND
GUMS?
Photo: freepik.es
When you have gingivitis gum inflammation, the goal it is to
return to have its characteristic pink color. First make sure
you brush at least 2 times a day, but remember that it is best
to brush after every meal! Use a soft brush and set it to 45
degrees from the union of the gum to the tooth and massage!
Then move the brush from top to bottom and front to back
with short strokes! Do not forget to brush the biting part of
your teeth!
We have not finished yet! After brushing comes flossing, pass
it in each space between the teeth, rolling up in a finger all dirt
from the thread you’ve already used. Remember that brushing
should take at least 2 minutes, you should change your toothbrush
every 3 months, when bristles have unkempt or after a
cold. Then rinse with the mouthwash recommended by your
dentist, which generally contains a medicine called chlorhexidine.
5

VITAMINS FOR YOUR GUMS?
Vitamin C helps heal faster. Perhaps does not cure gingivitis,
but this supplement helps reduce bleeding gums. You can take
daily pills or eat foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits,
broccoli, cauliflower or tomatoes.
If you brush your teeth and when you spit out the toothpaste it
comes out red and you have not eaten any food that has this
color, pay attention! It is important to treat gingivitis as soon as
you notice the first signs between cleanings with your dentist
or periodontist and your homecare, I guarantee you’ll improve
the health of your mouth pretty soon.
This space
can be yours!!
For more information,
contact us at
info@ethnicitiesmagazine.com
www.ethnicitiesmagazine.com
Photo: freepik.es
Phone: +507-62411167
Follow us on:

SOCIETY
CENTER OF PANAMANIAN WOMAN (CEMP)
REPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE
DONE FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER OF
2013
BY: CECILIA MORENO ROJAS, B.A.
SOCIOLOGIST AND CEMP DIRECTOR
cemppanama@gmail.com
The Center of Panamenian Women known as (CEMP) for it’s abbreviation in Spanish, is a
Non-profit Organization for charity, that was created the 15 of June of 1990. The work of the
CEMP stays within an approach of sortfairness and of sustainability.
From its creation, CEMP has promoted the formation of communitarian groups of women, the
installation of popular committees for the environmental education, prevention of domestic
violence, micro-enterprises, cooperatives, citizen participation and other forms of organization
that allows women to improve their social condition and to reach a better position in the
society.
During its trajectory, CEMP, has maintained a close relation with women of different regions
of Panama and ethnic groups, allowing to its empowerment and protagonism in the social
processes of its regions. CEMP differenciates from the other women organizations, by the
approach and the reach of its activities.
The work of CEMP is mainly oriented to promote the formation and organization of women
and young people in their communities through the installation of popular committees for
self-management, social development, environmental education and the citizen participation
as a mechanism to reach the fairness of sort, empowerment of women and the establishment
of a peace culture.
It also promotes the creation of micro-enterprises, cooperatives, alternative communications
programs and other forms of organization, that allows women to raise their self-esteem, improve
their social condition and reach a better position in society.
7
Unlike the other organizations, the work that the CEMP carries out is oriented to the integral
development of women with limited resources, promoting its organization as a mechanism for
self-management and development of their potentialities.
Self-esteem, leadership and citizens participation of the women is strenghtened by the use of
participative methodology.

The legal function and position of CEMP has national
coverage. Nevertheless, they currently do activities
with wome
n and young people of the provinces of Panama, Los
Santos, Colón, Coclé, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas.
In each of these areas they count with a team of voluntary
women who promote the different activities impelled
by the organization.
The main offices of CEMP are located in San Miguelito
District, Province of Panama. Address: San Miguelito,
Victoriano Lorenzo, 1st street, N° 23143h. Telephone
(507) 235-13-50 Fax: (507) 235-1989 E-mail: cemppanama@gmail.com
Postal Code.:0834-01261 Mail of
Carrasquilla, Panama City.
LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
CECILIA MORENO ROJAS, B.A.
PRINCIPLES ANDVALUES OF THE INS-
TITUTION
The work of CEMP stays from an approach of
fairness of sort, racial equality, social justice and
environmental sustainability. The majority of the
activities of CEMP are directed to women of popular
sectors: Especially to the young women and
major adults, women farmers, natives and afro
descendants in rural and urban areas.
They have the commitment to work so that women
and humbler families have a better quality
of life, through self-management, communitarian
organization, strengthening their self-esteem, their
leadership and an active participation of citizen,
oriented towards the fairness of gender and the
recognition and respect to the diversities and
ethnic-cultural identities of men and women. We
value the cooperation, solidarity and teamwork.
8

SOCIETY
MISSION
To contribute to the full development
of women potential,
with special attention to rural,
urban, indigenous and afro
descendant women, in order
to improve their quality of life,
to strengthen their leadership,
citizen participation, incidence
in public policies for the
social fairness, from a vision
that recognizes the ethnic-racial
identities and of gender, in
alliance with other sectors that
share these aims.
VISION
They look forward to become
a solid leader institute established
to service the community,
that contributes to the
empowerment of women and
the construction of a fairer and
environmentally safe society,
where the human rights are
respected, promotes the culture
of peace, social fairness
and equal opportunity between
men and womens.
OBJECTIVES
♀
♀
♀
♀
To contribute with the empowerment and total development of human and social potentialities
of women by through qualification, organization, citizen participation and
self-management.
To impulse alternative actions from a vision of gender fairness, oriented to reduce the
condition of poverty, social exclusion and discrimination that particularly affects women
and afro descendants, indigenous families, urban-marginal and farmers.
Promote the formation and strengthening grassroots community management through
meetings of popular women, technical training, gender training, and environmental
education, promotion of solidarity microenterprises (communal benches, cooperatives
and other forms of business organization) that allows women to raise their social status
and achieve economic security that places them as the main character in their quest
towards an alternative development.
Strengthen gender awareness, communication and solidarity among women favoring
a dimension of reflection and analysis on interpersonal relationships established within
family unity and determine the forms of participation of women in the social environment.
9

2013 PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
TRAINING ON GENDER AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
This program had the support of several institutions, such as INAMU / OPD / UNDP / UNFPA / OPS / Others.
It was made with an investment of B /. 25945.35.
They were held training workshops with different groups of women and young people about their rights and
gender identity. Giving workshops on Women’s Leadership in the community, the relationship Sex - Gender,
the Family Code, Education Research Citizen Care and Prevention of Domestic Violence and Gender, Sexuality
and Reproductive Health, Promotion of the Rights of black women, indigenous and others.
ECONOMIC ENTREPRENEUR-
SHIP WORKSHOP FOR AFRO-
DESCENDANT WOMEN
WOMAN POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
TRAINING
10

SOCIETY
MARCH AGAINST WOMEN
VIOLENCE IN SAN MIGUELITO
WORKSHOP ON HUMAN
RIGHTS FOR YOUTH HELPS
STRENGTHEN THE VALUES
AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP.
ACTIVITIES FOR CREATIVE USE OF
FREE TIME OF YOUNG PEOPLE
11

Servicies:
Graphic Design
Create artes for POP materiales, advertisings,
stickers, flyers, catalogs, card presentations,
arts for social media, logos, banners, posters
and other adaptations of the arts for news and
magazines. Also, creation of characters.
Video Edition
Creation and editing of videos, addition of
music or audio, texts and storyboard.
Photography
Use of a Professional Camera, photo sessions,
product shot, shots of pets and more.
For more información:
(507+) 6949-7688
stephany.salazar20@gmail.com
Windows Mac OS Microsoft
Office
Adobe
Photoshop
Adobe
Illustrator
Adobe
Indesign
Adobe
After Effects
Adobe
Lightroom

SOCIETY
STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP AND
IDENTITY OF AFRO-DESCENDANT WOMEN
BY: CECILIA MORENO ROJAS, B.A.
SOCIOLOGIST AND CEMP DIRECTOR
CEMPPANAMA@GMAIL.COM
We highlight the work done by the Centre of Panamanian Women (CEMP), in promoting Afro-Panamanian
culture and promotion of human rights of Afro-descendants! Within its strategic a plan a program is directed
to empower black women nationwide. Over the past 10 years specific activities that promote the rescue of
the identity of the black population in coordination with the National Network of Afro-descendant Women
of Panama (REMAP), Latin American African women in the diaspora and the black organization American
Center (CABO) have developed! Is currently a member of the National Council of the Black Ethnicity and of
the Afro-Panamanian Forum, where they have participated in the development of a plan of inclusion for the
visibility of African descent population in Panama!
In this framework CEMP; has carried out various activities to promote the preservation and restoration of
cultural heritage of Afro Panamanians, has contributed to the formation of cultural agents to recover ancestral
tradition and culture.
13

ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE CEMP FOR THE AFRO
PANAMANIAN PRESERVATION
Since 2008 CEMP has participated with the Foundation of
Performing Arts in the organizing of the International Festival
of Performing Arts in Panama.
Since 2009 we support the IV Diablos and Congos Festival
and the Festival of Women Congas in the district of Portobelo,
Colon with the objective of preserving and
disseminating cultural expression and congas traditions
(game development-dance-ritual of African descents
called Congos located at the Caribbean coast of Panama).
In 2011 CEMP, in coordination with REMAP, initiated the
“AFRICA FASHION FESTIVAL”, cultural event that
promotes the identity and the rescue of fashion
representing African descendants, there the young national designers
are promoted, so they inspire in designs with Afro Identity.
Another event promoted with the support of CEMP
since 2012 is the realization of the International AfroFestival of
Panama that takes place within the month of black ethnicity, in
conjunction with other organizations of ONG’s and the National
Secretariat of Black Ethnicity, the National Institute of Culture,
Panama Municipality and Panamanian Tourism Authority. They
have developed activities such as lectures, craft fairs, expressions
of dance, performing arts and gastronomy, with representation
from other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
CEMP boosted in 2012 a Preparatory Meeting of
African Descent (pre-summit World Afro) with the support
of the Executive Secretariat of the Black Ethnicity and the
National Government, held in the city of Panama, in order
to reaffirm the agreements and objectives of the first World
summit, held in Ceiba, in order to influence governments
and agencies of international cooperation for the creation
of a decade of African descent people and a fund of
development to address the real problems of this population.
With the support of international organizations, CEMP
has made seven national meetings of African descent in
order to strengthen leadership and cultural identity of black
women with the purpose of developing action plans and
proposals of public policies that contribute to social inclusion
of Afro-descendant population in Panama. Nationally
more than 400 afro Panamanian leader women from different
regions have participated and six provincial chapters have
been created to keep promotion and grassroots organizations.
14

SOCIETY
Cooking for an Ambassador
BY: ISAAC VILLAVERDE
CHEF / ENTREPRENEUR
isaacvillaverdem@gmail.com
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO COOK
FOR AN AMBASSADOR?
it is a question I’ve received a lot lately,
is that after our last Kitchen Take Over
as Cultural Movement at the residence
of US Ambassador in Panama, a before
and after has been marked in this generational
book today, just today, we have
the opportunity to write in some of its
pages.
I am sure that nothing happens by accident.
Everything is connected in some
way and for some special purpose.
When we wanted to travel to NYC for
@afrolatinofestivalnyc we did a media
tour in which our goal was stated in
several newspapers and medias. For one
of those coincidences of life, Ambassador
Mr. John D. Feeley saw one of those
publications related to “crowdfunding”
thereupon he invited us to the American
Embassy in Panamanian floor. At this first
meeting, he expressed his interest in supporting
us, additionally we would be traveling
to his hometown, New York City
AFRO-PANAMANIAN KITCHEN TAKE-OVER
The Ambassador had the idea to make a dinner at his residence and
he would give us the honor of cooking for himself, his wife and their
guests. Once we returned from @afrolatinofestivalnyc preparations
for this great event began. For a long time ago, he worked with a
group of young entrepreneurs, mostly Afro-Panamanians, with
which I Kitchen Take-Overs within our Cultural Movement promoting
gastronomy and Afro-Panamanian identity. Design the menu,
costs, select the ingredients, final presentation of the dishes and
drinks are just some of the points that are worked on, so that an
event of this importance can be successful. Chef Karyna Keene and
I worked on those details together with Chef Heriberto and
his team (Chef of the Ambassador’s residence). The rest of
our team formed by Joann Dewar, Stephanie Murillo, Litha
Wilson, Ninna Ottey, Kristopher Kirchman, Max Ureña and
José Antonio Gil focused on different areas such as production,
preparing beverages, social networks, filming, and
public relations.
15

DINNER
The night of the event, although everything
was very well organized, there is always
a manageable level pressure. Teamwork
triumphed and we presented a menu of
7 times with 2 food pairing drinks, simply
expressing the best of the last few years
of experience and learning we have had as
chefs, pastry chefs and mixologists.
Were invited to dinner Ambassadors and
renowned chefs, entrepreneurs, artists and
cultural activists.
Joshua Ashby and the C3 project put the
cherry on the ice cream at the end of the
dinner. They played a bit of everything, and
in a more relaxed environment, guests,
members of my team, the Ambassador and
his wife, we all danced together to the beat
of one of the best young bands today.
Definitely the United States and Panama have a historical relationship with many colors, but that night _ inclusion
colors, progress and cultural promotion shined. This K-T-O will remain in our minds and hearts as the day
we showed Americans that “Afro-Panamanians are alive, we are here.”
Pictures Credits:
@mambriche @afroraices @estamosunidos
16

HEALTH
FOOD AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH HEALTH
CONDITION
BY: VERÓNICA HIDALGO, B.A.
NUTRITIONIST - DIETITIAN REG.345
MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF PANAMA
VHIDALGO9@YAHOO.ES
1DAILY EATH FOODS OF ALL GROUPS
FOOD PLATE
Food plays an important role in our lives, is through food that our body gets the necessary nutrients to live. Therefore
we must provide it with the best foods to prevent diseases and preserve health.
It is not surprising that the current population prefer to change a balanced and healthy diet for food with high fat,
sugar, and chemicals content. Situation that did not happened with our ancestors, they were people engaged in
agriculture and hunting where they rarely suffered from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and
obesity.
Achieve establishing healthy habits is a task
that demands perseverance, discipline and dedication,
and not all people are willing to this.
But not everything is lost and to encourage
them on their way to achieve maintain a good
health it is necessary to take simple steps and
turn them into lifestyles.
The Dietary Guidelines for Panama made by the
Department of Nutritional Health of the Ministry of
Health, is an educational tool, so that people can select
food in both quality and quantity to meet their
nutritional needs and contribute to a healthy life; they
have eight messages and a picture entitled “Food
Plate”.
17

Photo: www.pexels.com
THE EIGHT DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR PANAMA ARE:
1. Daily eat foods from all groups.
2. Use natural seasonings such as garlic, onion, cilantro,
parsley, onion, oregano and pepper.
3. Avoid sodium intake that’s in sauces and artificial flavorings,
as well as products packaged in sachets, cans,
flasks and small boxes.
4. Use bit of oil and fats. Avoid fried foods.
5. Avoid sodas, iced tea and sugary drinks. Prefer natural
juices without sugar.
6. Increase daily consumption of fruits and vegetables
of all colors.
7. I drink water throughout the day and enjoy it.
8. Perform physical activity every day 30 minutes such
as walking, dancing and / or sports.
Remember that consistency is what guarantees us to
create habits, keep short-term goals and you will get results
and always consult with a health professional of
health with a record to answer your questions.
Photo: www.pexels.com
18

BUSINESS COVERAGE
STRENGTHENING COMMERCIAL AND ROOTS
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PANAMA AND BARBADOS
Ethnicities Magazine had the great
opportunity to cover the B2B and
the reception of Barbados Committee
that was organized by Harris
Business Enterprises S.A. of Dr.
Melida Harris Barrow in Collaboration
with The Asociación Afrofestival
Internacional Panama, S.A.,
of Dr. Kayra Harding at Sheraton
Hotel.
The main goal of this activity that
gathered business owners and
representatives from Panama and
Barbados, is to create alliances
and business opportunities between
both countries.
I’ll get started providing you with a
brief background, Honorable Donville
O’ Innis, Dip., BSc., MBA, MP.
Minister of the Ministry of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small
Business Development of Barbados, one of the main pieces of this event.
Paiting: Armando Barrios
Honorable Donville O. Innis was appointed Minister of Industry, International Business,
Commerce and Small Business Development in March 2013. Prior to this
appointment he served as Minister of Health from November 2008 until February
2013, and Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Business
from January – November 2008.
He has also served as a Business Development Officer with the Barbados Investment
and Development Corporation, and this is the committee that came to
Panama with him.
The BIDC provides a comprehensive suite of services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger
companies. These services are delivered through targeted programs of assistance aimed at facilitating the
establishment and expansion of enterprises and in general better positioning our local economy by supporting
activities that drive foreign Exchange earnings and savings. Our core activities are aimed at assisting
clients in conceptualizing, planning and implementing new ventures, marketing internationally acceptable
goods and services and penetrating overseas markets.
19

Barbados Investment and Development Corporation Team that came
to this wonderful mission with Minister Donville Innes are:
• Mrs. Paula Bourne, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B., Manager of Export & Business
Development Division, of BIDC who we had the opportunity to interview
as well, and
• Mr. Humphrey Broome, Business Development Officer.
And also Mr. Philmore Best, the minister’s permanent Secretary
Because of the participation of the BIDC in EXPOCOMER 2016 Caribbean/African
Pavilion, the Minister organized and led a mission to
Panama to help Barbadian businesses to explore and expand into new
markets and to develop strategic partnerships beyond Barbados’ shores”.
Our next EXPOCOMER 2017 Caribbean/African Pavilion organized
by Dr. Harris is schedule to take place March 22 to 25, 2017.
The EXPOCOMER 2017 Organizing Committee of the Chamber of
Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama has again granted
the Panama World Trade & Investment Foundation (PWTIF), Founder
& CEO, Dr. Melida A. Harris Barrow the rights to be the Promoter/Administrator
of the Caribbean/African Pavilion, and in this capacity, we are
pleased to extend a cordial invitation to companies from the Caribbean
and Africa to take part in the thirty-fifth staging of this exhibition at the
ATLAPA Convention Center, Panama City, Panama.
I invite you to read through the following interviews, the expectations
of all the Honorable Minister Donville O. Innis, and Mrs. Paula Bourne
as part of BIDC, both leading this mission, and also of the businesses
owners and representatives that attended to this B2B.
INTERVIEW WITH HONOURABLE MINISTER DONEVILLE O. INNIS,
Minister of the Ministry of Industry, International Business, Commerce and
Small Business development of Barbados
EM: WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON OR WHAT MADE YOU
COME TO PANAMA FOR THIS B2B THAT WAS HELD AT
SHERATON HOTEL?
MINISTER H. DONVILLE O. INNIS: the Barbados Government
and its business development agency the Barbados Investment
and Development Corporation (BIDC), have agreed that we need
to increase the exports of goods and services from Barbados
and to venture into non-traditional markets. We’ve agreed
that we’ll not let distance, or language or culture, stop us from
exploring opportunities based for manufacturing and services
as well. We decided that Panama is an area that we might also
look at.

BUSINESS COVERAGE
There was a visit here to Panama before, EXPO-
COMER, as well as some other contacts that we
have made with Panamanian representatives,
that kind of keep up the interest in Panama and
we were able to identify several Barbadian companies,
manufacturers and service providers who
we thought were export ready and therefore to
see the opportunities in the Panamanian market.
I’ll also add that the visit here, is also to find other
sources of raw material or partnership for Barbadian
manufacturers and suppliers, also to help
recognize that through Barbados, Panamanian
companies can also get further into the wider
Caribbean market. And like wise through Panama,
Barbadian companies can more aggressively
explore the central and South American market.
I must say I really felt pretty much at home, so all
manufacturers and services companies in Barbados
might have a great opportunity to work with
the diaspora, not just Barbadian but also Jamaican,
Saint Lucian and others, and the black people
in Panama that feel alright about it, because we
share a common history, our culture is so unique
and even as I look at condiment industry from
Barbados, I recognize that there are Panamanians
who still talk about “Cou-Cou”, preparing soup in a
certain way and you must appreciate that to carry
on the culture, is not also how you prepare is also
the ingredients you use that give it the taste.
So I think we have a wonderful opportunity to
really explode fully in a really positive way the
diaspora relationship and I’ll go a step further
beyond, the manufacturers and service people
here, I would like to see more Young Barbadians
appreciating their relatives, Friends and came to
Panama in the last century.
I visited Miraflores yesterday afternoon by the Panama Canals at the locks, and while I was given
the tour and when the official’s there she showed me the plaque, and I read the plaque, and I must
say the reason why I did not cry it was because my primary secretary was there with me and might
take a picture and laugh.
21

I opened to see on the plaque described that most
of the people who came to Panama, to build the
Panama Canal came from Barbados, and I did not
know that. I knew that thousands of Barbadians
came to Panama between the last century to
work, but I did not know that most of them where
from Barbados, and that is something I intend to
go home and share with all Barbadians because
it’s the fact that have people with west Indian
descent that left their comfort zone, to get risk to
travel here by boat, to a strange culture, different
language, different health conditions, and they
created what today remains the greater engineering,
must be a source of inspiration for all Panamanians
and west Indian descendants and all
black Barbadians and all black west Indians.
Coming out to missions like this, we must constantly
look to inspire Young people in particular to
become entrepreneurs, not to sit in their comfort
zone and feel that you are educated just to go and
get a job and come into an office.
I can safely say that this mission here, has really
opened our eyes to the wonderful opportunities
that we have in the Panamanian market for
the business service and equally that’s a way of
strengthening between Panamanian and West
Indian descendants.
EM: WILL YOU BE COMING AGAIN NEXT YEARS, AND HOW MANY YOUNG PEOPLE YOU ARE
THINKING TO BRING TO PANAMA?
MINISTER H. DONVILLE O. INNIS: the answer to
the first questions is yes, I intend to come back to
Panama as soon as possible for business, I also
think there are great opportunities for our Young
people to work collaboratively, I think the second
and third, fourth generation west Indians of Panamanians
and the west Indian descendants must be
given the opportunity to connect with their second
and thirds cousins back at home.
I´m a Little be sorry of those who feel that people of
color through the Caribbean cannot be entrepreneurs,
I think we are very bright, I think we just need to
be given some encouragement and some financial
support and people in my position as political leaders,
must be able to open the doors for them. Rather than
look towards North America and Europe, I think we
have to look at this left side of the region and say let
us start expanding our relationship with Panama; and
one of the things that helps a lot and what should be
done is when the Panamanian President came to visit
Barbados, we had talks about Barbados providing
a place where Panamanians teachers and students
can really immerse some savvy in English language
and I´m proud to say that about sixty teachers that
already have been trained in Barbados, and next year
we intend to extend that to Young Panamanian students
who would like to come and spend some time
in Barbados to learn English language as well. But
also have Young Barbadians come over to Panama to
immerse themselves for a few weeks in the language
and the culture of Panama. Then small steps like that
then begin to open their eyes, that language not be the
barrier if their able to communicate in their language, it
really helps a lot.
22

BUSINESS COVERAGE
I want to bring a group of Young Barbadians
to Panama, spend some time
with the business community in Panama
and explore the opportunities, you have
my Word that we will welcome a group
of Young Panamanians to Barbados as
well.
MINISTER H. DONVILLE O. INNIS: Yes, and after
this mission we are even more encouraged to take
part, and just not EXPOCOMER, I know there is
ExpoTurismo, the one for medical industry as well,
so we have been provided with a lot of information.
What I like about Panama is that you are becoming
the HUB for conventions of relevance to us in the
rest of the world and therefore we will see all the
opportunities to come and for participants. I know
from EXPOCOMER side, there has been successful
efforts so I encourage participants from the
Caribbean and the African nations, I believe Nigeria
will participate the next time so it really also provides
us with a great opportunity to connect to our
brothers and sisters from around the world.
EM: ARE YOU PLANNING TO COME NEXT YEAR TO EXPO-
COMER WITH THE GROUP OF YOUNG BARBADIANS?
We come to Panama to the EXPOCOMER not just
to see what we can sell or buy in Panama, but also
to connect with others around the world.
INTERVIEW TO PAULA BOURNE,
B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B., Manager of Export & Business Development Division of BIDC
23
EM: WHAT’S THE MAIN PURPOSE OF
YOUR TRIP TO PANAMA?
PAULA BOURNE: BIDC Mandate is we are a Business
Development and Expo promotion arm of the government
of Barbados. Our purpose is to expose our
companies to export opportunities. Currently we have
a going global program, that is intended to ramp up our
programs so that our companies get access to new
markets and we work with the companies to develop
their capacity and their capabilities so that they would
be able to benefit from this new opportunities in the
market place.

Panama mission is one of this opportunities. We started about 6 months
ago and we first brought companies to the EXPOCOMER, and the
EXPOCOMER, your premier trade fair and we brought four companies to
EXPOCOMER in March of this year, this is the second leg of the initiative
to expand to this in Panama.
Barbados and Panama have a very strong relationship and we also know
that there is a very large diaspora community descendants of Caribbean
people, so we thought this was a perfect opportunity to bring some of our
products and we found that a lot of Panamanians are familiar with the
products and the way of cooking them.
Mr. Humphrey Broome with Representative
from the Chamber of Commerce PROINVEX
EM: OF THE COMPANIES THAT YOU BROUGHT DURING EXPOCOMER 2016,
WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE PANAMANIAN MARKET?
PAULA BOURNE: We only have one in the Panamanian
market and that’s a company that sells labels, food labels
in particular, and they have some of the large customers
in Panama, particularly in the alcoholic beverages. That
company is not here with us, but we have another label
company that took advantage of the opportunity to come
and we have one of the other companies that came to EX-
POCOMER is here with us, that’s the only one that came to
EXPOCOMER that’s back at this mission and this company
is WIBISCO, they sell baked goods, they are very famous,
they are the producers of Shirley biscuits, they have explored
the market for at least two years and they continue to
pursue the opportunity so we hope that this time they will
be able to find the right kind of partnership so that they
can expose their products to the Panamanian market.
EM: WHAT IS THE MAIN MISSION OF THIS B2B?
PAULA BOURNE: when we started, when we came to the first round of meetings, those were with the widest business
community in Panama, so we have two companies that work with us in Panama to find potential Panamanian companies,
one company is Ocker Global they worked with us to organize, to give us the market supply that we need for the overall
meetings that we’ve taken and we also worked with Harris Enterprises and Harris enterprises is responsible for this particular
activity today which is the Business to Business among the diaspora community, so while we recognize there is a
large Panamanian business community we can engage, we’ve had those meetings on Monday and we suddenly extended
those meetings to Tuesday, we thought it would be a great opportunity as well to have meetings specifically with the
diaspora, because again when you are introducing new products to the market you look for the group of people that will
appreciate those products because of familiarity and we start with them. Once we get them interested on purchasing the
products, then it would be easier for the products to be accepted by the Panamanian community.
24

BUSINESS COVERAGE
25
We are not just here for promoting our products, we are also looking for all kinds of partnerships. There
are also companies that in identifying Panamanian companies that could distribute their products,
there are some who are looking for partnership to work with Panamanian companies to source raw
material, we have a company that was looking for inputs like food pulps so that they can push us from
Panama and import to Barbados so they could manufacture their products so they source the raw
material, there are also companies looking for strategic partnerships, Panamanian companies that may
want to produce their products for them, so it’s a combination of interests that we are persuing.
EM: WHAT ABOUT TOURISM FROM PANAMA TO BARBDOS AND VICEVERSA?
PAULA BOURNE: On this particular occasion we
are not focusing on tourism, we do have a separate
entity in Barbados that promotes tourism and that
entity I’m sure would be happy to explore opportunities
for Panamanians to come to Barbados
and in addition to that, the other area is I know that
the government of Barbados and Panama worked
together on training opportunities, English as a fun
language and our university of west indies has hosted
several, I think there is a second group of Panamanians
that are going into Barbados to be trained
in English as a foreign language.
We have a group already did it and we have a
second group, so we are interested in other areas
outside of products as you rightly mentioned. Barbados
is a very popular destination and we would
love to get more people from Latin America coming
into Barbados and we’ll also love to introduce some
products and we yes we are also
focusing on short EXPOS as well
so when we have visitors come
and they purchase the products,
they get excited about it and then
when they return they’d like to
see those products in the market,
so it certainly would help to
encourage and increase the visits
out of Panama. I am not sure
of the air flare at the moment,
I know there is no direct flight,
so it would be a great idea for
our government to persue that
arrangement with COPA and fly
directly into Barbados that would
certainly be a great move.
What I’ve seen so far Panama
is a very diverse and beautiful
country.

EM: WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION OF THIS B2B THAT HAS BEEN DONE
THIS TIME, AND ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTICIPATE IN ANO-
THER ONE NEXT YEAR?
PAULA BOURNE: Our expectation is to have our businesses
well familiarized with Panama, they would learn about the
country, the culture and they would certainly take advantage
of the opportunity to network and to develop potential
clients in Panama, so that we can have an explosion of business
between Latin America and Barbados and Panama,
could certainly be one of the countries to start that process
so that we as Caribbean people from Latin America, we are
so close geographically, and so we’d le to see more trade
between us and our expectation is that in the near future in
the next couple years we begin to see an increase in trade
out of exports from Panama and imports into Panama of
Barbadian products, that is our expectation of this particular
activity. We’ll continue to bring our companies and we
certainly have plans to attend EXPOCOMER IN 2017, we’ve
already been invited and had such a tremendous response
in 2016 EXPOCOMER. Our booth was actually one of the
highlights in the African Caribbean Pavilion and so we look
forward for better things next year.
INTERVIEW WITH THEOPHILIA OF O’S COMPANY
EM: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EX-
PERIENCE OF THIS B2B THAT HAS
BEEN HELD IN PANAMA?
THEOPHILIA: it is very interesting to
have the two companies in Panama.
We are trying to bring in gluten-free
products into Panama so people can
become healthier.
26

BUSINESS COVERAGE
EM: HOW LONG HAVE YOUR PRODUCTS BEING IN THE BARBADOS
MARKET, AND HAVE THEY BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE PANAMA-
NIAN MARKET?
THEOPHILIA: O’s is in every supermarket in
Barbados, and now we are trying to have it
introduced in the Panamanian market. So far
the reception has been very, very good because
yesterday we met a lot of the supermarket
people, they came and interview us and they
are very interested in the gluten-free products,
so I’m looking forward to work with them.
EM: WHEN DID YOU STAR-
TED YOUR COMPANY?
THEOPHILIA: I started in 2012.
I was working and I got cleared
from my job, and I needed
something to do, so I decided to
find something that I could do
on my own, because with my
age I was not able to get a job.
EM: WHAT IS YOUR PRO-
DUCT LINE?
THEOPHILIA: I have all gluten-free
products, we have
potato flour, bread fruit flour,
the pancake mix in bread fruit,
pancake mix in sweet potato,
coconut flour, plantain flour and
cassava flour.
27

INTERVIEW WITH LISA MURRAY, EXPORT MANAGER OF WIBISCO
WIBISCO is the only biscuit manufacturing company in Barbados and one of the major bakeries operating
in the Caribbean now.
EM: ARE WIBISCO PRODUCTS ALREADY IN THE PANAMA-
NIAN MARKET OR THAT’S SOMETHING YOUR ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO?
LISA MURRAY: We are not now in the market,
one of the reasons we are here is we’ve been having
some meetings with potential distributors,
so we hope to have more products available in
the Panamanian shelves very soon.
We were here in March for EXPOCOMER where
we would have made some connections with
some very interesting companies as well and we
hope that after the follow-up in this trade that
we would soon be in a place to ship containers
of our cookies and our crackers here, so that all
Panamanians can find them easily.
EM: WHERE ARE WIBISCO PRODUCTS CURRENTLY
DISTRIBUTED?
LISA MURRAY: we now distribute products to
the entire Caribbean, we have a total of 22 export
markets. We distribute our products to the
entire Caribbean as well as the US, Canada and
the UK.
EM: WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION YOU HAVE OF THIS B2B?
ARE YOU PLANNING TO COME TO EXPOCOMER 2017?
LISA MURRAY: Yes, our first year in EXPOCOMER was this
year 2016, and it was a tremendous experience, we had
the opportunity to meet with some fantastic people we
would have met really strong candidates as potential distributors
not only here in Panama, but throughout the rest
of the central American region and certainly we want to
build up on that and be in a place to come back again next
year. We’ve already spoken to the organizers about reserving
our spot first, so hopefully when we are back next year
2017, our products would be on the shelves.
28

BUSINESS COVERAGE
INTERVIEW WITH ANN-KING, DIVISIONAL HEAD OF BARBADOS AGRI-
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING CORPORATION PROMO-
TING CARMETA’S PRODUCTS
EM: CAN YOU LET ME KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE CAMETA’S PRODUCTS, WHAT
ARE YOU PROMOTING IN PANAMA AND YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THIS B2B?
ANN MARIE: I will start with a little background on the
Agency. The Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing
Corporation is the Agro-Business agency of Barbados
and we work with small and medium enterprises,
both farmers as well as agro-processors to help them with
marketing and distributing their products in Barbados as
well as across the world. This is actually our first trip trade
mission outside of Barbados, so we’re very happy of being
here in Panama and we feel pretty much as home here.
Our product can be great quality, but persons need something to find
it by, and so we determined that we would come out with a great
Brand name for our product.
The name Carmeta’s on the products
are the name for the late Senator
Carmeta Frazer, she was a Pioneer
in food promotion and food development
in Barbados in the 1970’s
through the 1980’s, unfortunately she
passed away. She thought that we
should eat what we grow and grow
what we eat right there in Barbados.
So we thought it was right fitting too,
because she worked with us, Barbadians,
that we named the products
after her. Barbadians all remember
her, she was a big personality and the
name has gone very well for us.
29

Carmeta’s range includes not only gluten-free flours as well flour
mixers and desserts, it also includes a full line of seasoned meats
including hamburgers, beef burgers, pork burgers, lamb burgers,
beef, lamb, sausages, even pork sausage as well as smoked meets
made from Barbados black lamb which is a very succulent special
type of lamb that’s in Barbados. We have 27 products in the Carmeta’s
line.
What we brought to Panama with our was our shelf table flours, we
have cassava flour in two varieties, cassava flour which is great for
baking and then also a coarse cassava flour to make more traditional
dumplings. We also make the gluten-free sweet potato flour
that’s actually quite popular in the UK and we also make a bread fruit
flour as well.
We’ve also taken the cassava flour and we value added that to create
wonderful flour mixes, we also have gluten-free. A cassava corn
bread mix. We had just for Panama cassava ginger cookie mix, cassava
original and our sweet potato cookie mix.
We are looking forward within the next three months to have wonderful
meetings with some really lovely distributors here, with some
of the supermarkets as well and we hope to get the product registered
and on the shelves within the next three months in Panama.
EM: ARE YOU THINKING TO COME TO EX-
POCOMER NEXT YEAR?
ANN MARIE: We’ve Heard a lot about it, there are
some other delegates that are in the trade mission
who spoke to us about the value of participating in
this EXPO and so we definitely think that is something
we want to be part of, so march 2017 we will
be here.
INTERVIEW WITH MR. IVAN, OWNER OF LOCAL PANAMANIAN
RESTAURANT “DONDE IVAN”
EM: WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION YOU HAVE OF THIS VISIT TO THE B2B’s THAT HAS BEEN
ORGANIZED BY HARRIS BUSINESS ENTERPRISES S.A. AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO
ADD TO YOUR AFRO RECIPES?
SR. IVAN: I would love to innovate in my kitchen, and I
received an invitation to this event where I was told that
there would have products for cooking and I decided to
attend to see what I can take to make a few tests in my
business and innovate in my Afro Antillean kitchen to
offer new things to our customers.
EM: WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN SO FAR, WHAT
HAS CALLED YOUR ATTENTION THE MOST,
TO TRY IT IN YOUR KITCHEN?
SR. IVÁN: the time I’ve been here, I observed a
meal that caught my attention, which are coconut
and breadfruit flours, and I´ve been told that I
can make pancakes with these, and to me that is
something completely new and different. I also noticed that we have pre-prepared cou cou, you only
need to add your milk, it is a wonder, and the truth is that I’m impressed.
30

BUSINESS COVERAGE
INTERVIEW WITH BERNADET BROWN,
CENTOLLO’S PLACE OWNER
EM: WHAT IS THIS YOUR Expectation of this B2B_, AND WHAT
PRODUCTS HAVE CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION THAT YOU WOULD
LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR BUSINESS?
BERNADET BROWN: the first I’ve seen is the “Cou-Cou
mix”, I was amazed, at least when we prepare the cou-cou
we have to be stuck to the pot so that it does not stick on,
and the exponent explained it is extremely easy to prepare,
we would save time and we will be able to offer this
product every day. The reason we do not have it every day
in the restaurant is just that, it takes too long prepare. It
would return this product to the community, since there
are several products that have been lost.
I also saw cassava flour that is good for dumpling, also the
sweet potato, so we hope to have them on the Panamanian
market soon.
EM: YOU MENTIONED THERE ARE SOME AFRO-
PANAMANIAN DISHES THAT ARE NOT BEEN
SOLD, BECAUSE THE RAW MATERIAL IS NOT
AVAILABLE TO HAVE IT OFFERED EVERYDAY TO
THE CUSTOMERS, WHAT ARE THOSE DISHES?
31
BERNADET BROWN: one of the dishes is run down, basically
one of the main things is because it has not been
passed from generation to generation, and one of the
reasons that I really believe is because our dishes take
so long to cook, remember in our time our grandmothers
and our mothers used to be at home, and they could
take the time to cook them, but with the style of life we
have today we cannot make them. What I repeat is that
I found “Cou-Cou mix” very interesting, coconut powder,
yucca powder that will help us reduce the process in the
restaurants.
We also had the opportunity to see at the meeting tables
labeling companies ad DigitalLabels and the creator of
Cou-Cou on which most of our Panamanian entrepreneurs
that have food businesses are interested. These
B2B’s are a great window for Business Owners of Panama
and Barbados, and we encourage our diaspora
business owners to participate of this kind of business
opportunities.

PERSONALITIES
JEAN CARLOS QUIJANO
BY: KEILA DE MORENO SALAZAR
info@ethnicitiesmagazine.com
Between the Gift, the Purpose
and a Grand Ecstasy of Color
with our designer from Colon,
Jean Carlos Quijano
As we were announcing, our front cover of the September
issue, has been a big surprise!
I have the honor to share with you the interview I did to our
young star designer, Jean Quijanonative of our beloved land
of Colon, who along with his mother, opened for us the doors
of their home to bring you, our beloved followers and readers,
more about him and his beginnings. He is a young entrepreneur
who impacts and transform lives through his wonderful
work and effort
Before I begin telling you everything that happened
during our interview, we want to honor who deserve, it
is a woman who has been responsible of laboriously
knitting, with faith and effort for the purpose of Jean
Quijano, his mother, Ms. Rosario Avila Donalgi Trejos,
who is the hand behind the cuts and the assembly of
the designs that draws and paints our artist. She saw
the talent in her son, drove him and has taken him by
the hand to be intelligent, full of life and joy young man
that he is, because he works on what he loves to do.
Currently Ms. Donalgi is dedicated to work on dressmaking,
which is a gift that has been passes over in
her family from generation to generation. This woman
also has great skills for craft, and using both talents has
carried out her family.
33

WHO IS JEAN QUIJANO?
He is a young fashion Afro Urban growth designer that’s going, who was
born on December 27, 1992 in the province of Colon in Panama. He has
an honorary Doctorate of Arts and Philosophy, he studied a degree in
Multimodal Transport and Logistics at the Universidad Teconológica de
Panamá, and he is a Young Ambassador of Panama World Trade Investment
and also painter and fashion designer.
Now, we leave you with what Jean Quijano told us during the interview,
and photographs of some of the beauties he has created with love and
affection with the unconditional contribution of his mother.
EM: JEAN, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT
YOURSELF?
My full name is Jean Carlos Quijano, better known as Jean Decort 507, I
have a PhD in Art and Philosophy from the University of Life of the United
States nominated by Dr. Melida Harris Barrow and I was nominated in
2015 as one of the most interesting people in Panama, through the Book
Panama Inside, by Dr. Clyde River.
I am a very creative, intelligent person, with a lot of imagination,
wanting to succeed and be an example for others; a
cheerful, funny, charismatic young man, with an extroverted
look that reflects how I am and my roots, sometimes a bit
quiet and observer. I love writing stories through the pictures
I take, motivate others with words or with only my positivism,
I like to help others fulfill their dreams and on what I can.
Photo: Bleca JC
WHEN DID YOU ENGAGED IN THE DESIGN AND
WHAT ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
I got involved in design when I was at school, I was not very clear, but at that time
I was already practicing. It was through designs that I made with bleach in some
pants, after that, in my community I was in a dance group, and usually dancers
use different clothes for each presentation and is what gives rise to the idea...
what can I do to have a different and unique garments? Well, because of that I
made my first design that I was supposed to use during 2011 Carnival but instead
of going to the carnival celebrations, went to a spiritual retreat and I presented my
talent God in a talent night.
34

My influences in the design are
thanks to my mother’s family, who
for the most part have dedicated
much of their life to dressmaking
which is the essential for fashion
design, and to know what kind
of paintings can be used on the
fabric.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE STYLE OF YOUR DESIGNS AND WHAT IT IS ABOUT?
My designs are Afro Urban and is inspired
by African culture, with hand-painted
prints completely, giving it a unique, different
and original touch, reflecting the joy
in their colors and giving it a youthful and
contemporary touch.
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?
In nature, my roots, my everyday life, sometimes I have
divine inspirations on which the ideas come to me from
nowhere.
IT’S NOT THE BRUSH OR PAINTING, BUT WHERE YOUR
INSPIRATION COMES FROM.
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LET US KNOW A BIT ABOUT THE FO-
LLOWING DESIGNS:
Stylized Congo Skirt
Stylized Congo Skirt was used by Miss Piel Canela
2014 when she was representing Panama at San
Andrés, Colombia; It was made in a day since it had
to use the 5 November 2014, also by Miss November
5, the Province of Colon, Viodelis Francis, before
working on it, I went through a tragic night in
which someone stole my bolongings , but I already
had the responsibility to present the dress for the
scheduled day, despite all the circumstances, the
rain of feelings was what made the adrenaline and
creativity to get together to create this beautiful
design carrying Panama in one dress with different
drawings. This stylized congo skirt the Bridge of the
Americas, Queen Congo, Old Panama, montuno, the
pollera, the golden frog, the harpy eagle, nature and
wildlife of Panama ... Some of the prominent people
who have worn this piece, are also the queen of
the fair Colon, 2015, TV presenter Michelle Simons
2015 and the Black queen of SENAFRONT 2016
who will go to represent our country with the dress
the Hispanic Day Parade in 2016 soon.
Photo: Amado Escapa
36

Line A Skirt
Line A skirt skirts is one of the most frequently used
today, denoting elegance, what is so different about
this skirt is that it contains everything that represents
Panama in a very elegant garment. The idea
to manufacture it came from Mrs. Ariana Policani,
who is the wife of Colon’s mayor who saw my
work, and she decides ask me to do her a skirt with
representative designs of the province of Colon so
she could use it November 5, 2015 and she wanted
something unique, beautiful and different. It was not
easy to merge what she liked and apply my designs,
but the result was amazing. This garment did not
stop stealing glances that day, and from then on the
famous line Skirt A “PanamaInTheSkirt” was born.
From there many more are born, with designs of
other provinces like Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and
Guna Yala and 2 more of Colon, all different, with
unique and elegant inspiration. The last one I made,
I captured the Panama Canal with the ship Cosco
Shipping Panama and Hands of Stone Duran, our
aborigines, black woman with her wrap, red devil,
the golden frog and typical instruments, all representing
Panama in a skirt.
Peacock evening dress
The Peacock dress, was made 6 hours before a presentation.
I made it to test my own ability, and that
is why it reflects beauty attacker; this piece produces
a great feeling because of its beautiful plumage
and because it was entirely hand-painted in 2012
3D Peacock Evening dress
The green 3D Peacock dress, was made with the
same vision of beating myself on each design; as I
had already made a version in evening dress, I had
the curiosity to create a fantasy dress, reflecting the
bird and the beauty of its plumage attacking fashion,
in an artistic and elegant way.
38

PERSONALITIES
Phoenix Dress
Phoenix Fantasy Dress , was the last dress I made
in 3D, which represents for me the resurgence of
Afro-descendant from the ashes, and all that is
happening; the decade of African descent by the UN
and the great recognition that was done to them,
“as it is said: the phoenix rising from the ashes”.
These designs are part of my Afro Urban Collection
Beautiful Birds.
WHAT DO YOU PREFER DESIGNING, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE?
I like to design dresses that are very difficult to prove myself, my ability;
but I also like to design simple pieces, that simultaneously reflect
my culture with modern fashion and different prints.
ARE THERE DESIGNERS FROM THE PAST OR PRESENT, WITH
WHICH YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO WORK?
Of this time, I would like to work with the designer Jeremy Scott, who
is the creative director of the brand Monshino and his style is the closest
thing to what I do, it reflects what he likes through his designs.
IN WHAT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS HAVE
YOU PARTICIPATED?
I have participated in big fashion events such as: African Fashion
Festival Panama, Expo International Getaway, Afro International
Festival, Miss Piel Canela, Miss November 5, Queen of the Caribbean,
Modeling graduations of Warner Model, International
Convention of Designers and Models, Art fairs and government
institutions and universities and others.
Internationally I have participated in The Dream Convention 2015
at San Andres Island, Colombia as a Young Ambassador of the
World Trade Investment Foundation Panama and in Costa Rica in
the African Diaspora Festival.
39

WHAT EVENTS HAVE YOUR CREATIONS BEEN PROJECTED, ALSO WHAT OTHER CELEBRITIES
HAVE USED THEM?
My designs have been used in the Expocomer 2015 and 2016, African Strabaganza 2015, international
reigns by Miss Piel Canela International 2014, have also been used by national and international
artists and TV presenters, Tu Mañana and artists like El Tuox, The Boy C , Japanise, Murder
Cat, Twenty Monkey, among others Eshconinco and Honduran Artists like Big Nango, Fresh and
JCP. I have also been invited to several TV channels, I’ve been part of projects such as seed singers
dressing contestants in 2012, contributing to our country’s Folklore, I´ve also been a sponsor
of the Youth Group Manos Unidas and I am part of the coordination team, supporting campaigns
against HIV AIDS, Peace Activities “ I AM PEACE” and I am also part of the Rhythm Fashion and
Culture Festival.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST
ABOUT YOUR CAREER IN FASHION DE-
SIGN?
Enhance my roots through my designs, motivate
other young people to fulfill their dreams
in this profession and promote culture.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE NEAR
FUTURE?
Having my own boutique, make gateways in
Europe, Asia and teaching painting and design.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ABOUT FAS-
HION OR STYLE TO OUR READERS?
To use their ethnic and typical designs throughout the year
with pride, to use designs made by Panamanian designers, lose
the fear of wearing clothes with lots of color, wear the designs
properly.
As a designer, that values art and designs created by Panamanians,
use the garments they like and with which they feel comfortable
and finally I leave this sentence: “the first impression
comes for what you are wearing.”

PERSONALITIES
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR ALL THOSE YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS?
First, to fight for their dreams, to fill
up with a lot of positive information
and to do so, get together with people
who have the same desire to of becoming
an entrepreneur. To get focused
on goals on short, medium and long
term, so that they see progress of their
dreams, and especially to trust their
talent.
“You will have difficult moments, but
you have the solution to get out of
them through your gift ... Every effort
and sacrifice through you dreams and
gifts, will be rewarded at the perfect
time of the Lord.”
¡Communicate your message
to our readers through
1/2 PAGE ad space
like this!
Follow us!
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PERSONALITIES
MULTI KULTI BY
IZMIR HENRY
BY: KEILA DE MORENO SALAZAR
HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN
THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF
WRAPS?
My interest arose after seeing on Instagram girls
wearing wraps and their natural hair. I ordered one
from an online store in the United States and when
they came into my hands, I realized they were a very
versatile accessory, that makes you stand out from
the crowd and that can decorate your hair in those
days when you’re not having a “good hair day”.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET S
TARTED IN THIS BUSINESS?
My inspiration came from two accounts of two
wraps_ stores in the United States and I also love watching
how Miss Balanta from Colombia incorporates
wraps to her outfits daily.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE FABRICS?
I choose them based on colors that I like and that I
feel I can find anywhere in Panama. In fact, my inspiration
for choosing these fabrics is Panama. After
spending two years in Germany, I realized how much I
took for it granted, Panama’s diversity and its people,
so I would say that behind Multi Kulti, the greatest
inspiration is Panama, its beauty and the diversity of
its landscapes and people.
43

HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE STYLE OF YOUR WRAPS?
My wraps have the style of those used in Africa your wraps,
which are used as cultural expression. They are loosely tied,
as the person using it feels inspired to tie it. Wraps are a kind
of crown and the crown of each one should be inspired on
herself.
HOW DID THE NAME OF YOUR BRAND WAS BORN
AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The name comes from the term multiculturalism that hints
at coexisting with different cultures in a society or country.
The term comes from that term in German, because I think
it was a word that could summarize the inspiration behind
wraps and also describe the girls I’d like to see wearing my
wraps, not only girls with curly hair, I would like to see all
girls, no matter the color of their skin, hair type and ethnicity.
What I want is everyone to see wraps as an accessory and
adopt it with their own style.
HAVE YOU FOUND DIFFICULT TO PROMOTE YOUR-
SELF AND ESTABLISH YOUR OWN LINE? WHAT
HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE?
I do not feel it difficult, which complicates it is that is something
I do at the same time with my job and I cannot spend
all the time I would like to, however, I feel that despite that,
the reception has been good. What makes it a little more
difficult it is that many girls are interested, but they are afraid
to use them for not knowing how to tie them, when it is actually
easier than they think? That is why I recorded tutorials
where I show how to tie them, so they can see that is very
simple.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE
LIKE YOU, WHO WANT TO START CREATING YOUR
OWN BUSINESS?
Make a plan, it does not have to be very large and start. You
are never a 100% ready get started, but on the way you learn
and realize what works for you and what does not.
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
WEARING ONE OF YOUR WRAPS?
Paola Carballeda Maldita Routine, Marcela
Barnes, Stylingbyanne :) and many more if
I keep going the list will never end.
Several friends helped me with their observations and online
I found a lot of information.
44

BE BOLD, BE AFRO-CHIC
BY: NINNA OTTEY
notteymc@gmail.com
The traditional dresses of African culture, have
always been a source of inspiration for the world
of fashion. The joy of colors, combining different
textures and great content style accessories are one
of the many features that ethnic customs have in
Africa and African descendants’ countries.
FASHION
There are several designers who adopt the afro style
in their collections and runaway in different ways.
Yves Saint Laurent that implemented the African ornamentation
in the haute couture in 1967. Valentino
using African culture connotations to create a new
ethereal-tribal style on his spring 2016 collection.
Women did not stay behind. One of my favorites
today, _ the Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean. This
girl has transformed the way that Western European
culture _ considers as African-Caribbean way of
dressing. Afro-Caribbean. She knew in a very ingenious
way to combine the best of both worlds, and is
considered the designer who gave a true character
to the Afro-Caribbean Chic style.
It is a style that I love, to project how proud I am of
my roots. However, in Panama many of Afro-descendants
girls do not dare to include it in their
clothes because they consider it a very striking and
bold style; or simply because it is a style that they
consider that only can be used during the month
of May in the different celebrations that are held to
commemorate the Black Ethnicity.
Photo: Janelle Monae Valentino

FASHION
Today the rules have changed style, everything goes! Here is some tips on how to wear
it for different occasions.
WORK, WORK, WORK
Do not be afraid of prints in your working days.
The mix ‘n match is also allowed to work. Use
striped shirt that you have in the closet and combine
it with a skirt cut A, pencil or a maxi skirt. An
outfit a little girly but fierce. As for, stay classic
accessories, but you can break with a strong color
in shoes and bag.
Photo: Inna Modja
If you want to have a slightly more classic style
you can use more subtle prints on your clothes.
Either trousers or print blazer and other parts
together so smooth. If you do not feel comfortable
with the prints, you can also use accessories
covered in tribal accessories
47
Photo: Kaela Kay

FORMAL EVENTS
Sometimes I have heard girls who dare not to use
patterns in formal events because they believe
that elegance is lost and they are afraid of falling
into what we call trashy. Do not get me wrong,
when in doubt wear black, but you have to break
the myth. Ethnic prints can also make us look very
nice and classy.
There is no more beautiful combination than the
mix ‘n match of prints and lace. It makes you look
feminine and very elegant. Use pastel colors on
your lace pieces for day events and darker colors
at night. Don’t be shy, try it and you will be dazzling.
Photo: Vlisco
Printed dresses are also beautiful, but if they do
not go with your personality you can use a plain
dress and highlight it with a phenomenal Gele:
Nigerian style wraps.
Photo:: Asoebi
48

FASHION
EVERYDAY LIFE
Since fashion moved to the street, thanks to
the different fashion street style bloggers, ¡don’t
hesitate to put your creativity in action! Think big
and leave the rule of three for another time. Use
wraps, crowns, flowers, earrings and big bracelets,
playing with mix of prints, print on print,
denim prints, t-shirts and slippers.
Take your favorite style, whether rock, urban,
sporty, punk, ladylike and give it a twist afro with
the patterns ... Anyway, there are countless combinations
you can do, just remember to keep the
proportions according to your size and height.
Photo: Fanm Djnam
Photo: LadyHood
49
Photo: Finding Paola

MINI AFRO TIPS
Photo: Steve Mccurry
If you use a wrap and want to play with different
ways to wear, remember to use those that are
Wax Prints, this helps it to remain more firmly in
your head and not have to put it back over and
over all the time.
Dressup Afro pieces are not only of animal print,
there are also the Ankara fabrics, Kitenge that
comes from the African east, the dashikis, the
fabric of Kenyan Masai warriors and asoebi fabric;
that is used by Nigerian women on special
occasions
It is risky, artists such as Rihanna, Janelle Monae
or Beyoncé are girls who love the Afro Chic
Style. That they are artists, does not mean you
can’t carry it. Trends always begin with a group
of people who break the molds, dare to do it!!
Remember that the two key pieces at any
moment are confidence and attitude. Have fun
when dressing up, it will make you start your
day with enthusiasm and without fear. Use with
pride and respect these significant patterns of
our culture, this also shows that you are proud
of your blackness.
Do not forget to inspiration from the Afro-Caribbean
style or our colonial African culture. Congos
have much style, you can get many ideas
that once you find out, you will not want to stop
Photo: Steve Mccurry

AFROPANAMANIAN
C O C K T A I L S & F I N G E R F O O D
@MunchiePatty
+507.6834.4243
MunchiePatty@gmail.com

PETER WILLIAMS’S SECRET
BY: ANDRÉS VILLA, B.A.
villaturs@gmail.com
The screams of the police, the sound of footsteps that hurt the wooden steps of the
stairs by which people went up or down to these Caserones, disturbed the quiet of the
night. The mess of broken dishes falling of small tables that found the persecutors in
front of each door made echoes in the hallways. Stealthy, like a cat, sneaked between
the sheets of zinc that surrounded the courtyard. He felt that he mocked them again.
His elastic, wiry and dark figure moved like a spark, seeking for darkness’s’ cover to
disappear, but he could not avoid being face to face with the policeman who shot him.
AFRO LEGENDS
Carola, half naked, from the balcony had followed all the details of the persecution since
the man left his room. His ebony body, was shaking with fear and when she saw the
confrontation between her lover and the gun barrel, she let out a loud scream that was
heard fractions of seconds before the thunder of the shot. Baaaaannnggg!
Bullets do not do hurt him, it is proven. Look what the newspapers say.
The two black men, sitting near the entrance of that great lodging house, were reviewing
the morning headlines that highlighted on its cover
“Peter Williams escapes again” Another section said, “Police says that he shot at
Williams and he did not even bleed.” For a long time now, the news of that black Robin
Hood who robbed the rich to distribute the proceeds of his misdeeds with the poor,
occupied the attention of the whole city.
--what They do not know is that he becomes smoke- once again he commented like
nothing, raising questions on what was in the content of the newspaper sheets.
Black workers had traveled from their islands in the Caribbean _ only a few decades
ago to work on the construction of the Panama’s Grand Canal. Panamanians had seen
them arrive with very little sympathy. They spoke English and they smelled different.
_ Americans arrived before, they built towns in _ Transismica area and changed
everything. They placed signs in another language and drew an imaginary line that
would become a parallel cyclone net on both sides of the canal, where they used to
command, just them.
When finishing the work, the unemployed workers, mostly black, took refuge in the
cities. They passed difficulties, lived crammed into those wooden houses with two
floors, with rows of “rooms where the sun did not come in.” In these neighborhoods
they multiplied, trying to preserve their language and customs as the Hebrews in
Egypt. That thief of whom the newspapers used to talk was one of them. But something
different was happening with him, Panamanians celebrated his deeds, especially
if it was performed on the side of Americans in the Canal Zone.
--Tell us everything you know about your lover. Speak or things will be very bad for
you. - One of the detectives said to Carola.
--You think you’re the only bitch he has? You’re one of many. Look, we know he visits
several in Rio Abajo, El Marañón, El Chorrillo and what to say Colon, there he has many.
Black Colon women adore him. Said another police, black as her that was looking at
her lewdness.
52

AFRO LEGENDS
In the end, Carola, confused could convince them that did she not know Peter’s hiding
place. They then gave her a green twenty dollar bill and a phone number to call if she
found out something, and the promise of more money if she collaborated with the
capture of offender who taunted the police of the area, and that of Panama.
The black women left the station and nervous she took the first “chiva” (bus) that passed.
She climbed into the singular wooden cab of the singular vehicle public transportation
and pulled out her face by one of the windows so that passengers of the parallel
seats would not notice her anguish although the man sitting opposite was more
interested in seeing her honeyed legs every time the bus sudden movements would
raise her tight dress.
The thing was not so simple. The police did not just want to know Peter’s hiding place
Peter also his secret. She also believed that the bullet had hit his body. She did not
know how he delivered out so well. After the shot, Peter pushed his pursuer and got
lost in the darkness of the night. Everyone looked for a trail of blood and found nothing.
But what had annoyed her was that, he had many lovers.
- “Son of a bitch” - he muttered.
With the days, journalism took again the thief. This time he had assaulted a gas station,
and disappeared after a shootout in which a guard was injured. They said he was
seen in a party down the sides of Pueblo Nuevo where he distributed part of the spoils
in a neighborhood of poor Black people. Of those natives of the islands where his mother
was born.
--¡Son Of a Bitch! Let me go! How dare you come to my room again? Don’t you know
that they are looking for you?
The fugitive had slipped through the window without waking her up. She began to
struggle and to throw him the dishes on the table that was in the middle of the piece
that was used as a dining room, kitchen and bedroom.
Peter’s fabric cap fell on the floor. With gestures he asked her to shut up, that she
would wake the neighbors or alert the police. When Carola felt the arms of her lover
rubbing her naked hips generously, that’s how the black woman used to sleep, she
yielded to the caresses and gave herself up to the furtive visitors in a frantic union.
--Peter, how long will you live running. My love nobody loves me like you do.
The black man, smiling at the signs of love from Carola, _ snuggled between her big,
firm tits. The black women lived alone. Once she became lover _ of the famous thief
she dispatched her previous man. She was telling everyone that she could not fool the
great Peter no one would make love to her as him. _ Peter.
- My love, during warm nights I dream with your body and I cannot sleep thinking that
you sleep with other women. The police told me that you are fooling me.
A moonbeam slipped through the window blind, illuminating the grin of hate of the
black woman. Before dawn, the thief dressed and left a handful of bills on the table. He
left without waking up Carola. Putting on his cap over his ears and turning up the collar
of his jacket he disguised himself of any black man that at that time went to their work
in the area.
Distracted, he was thinking of the words of the woman. It was true, how long he would
flee. He had chosen to live outside the law to humiliate the gringos who despised his
people. He always felt he could climb and sneak through any door or window. He remembered
well that time when he was a teenager and his mother took him where that
Madame.
53
If you want to know how this story ends, I invite you to seek the second part in
the October issue.

INSPIRING STORIES
FROM ADDICTION TO PURPOSE
HANNAH’S STORY
BY: HANNAH SOESMAN OLMBERG
Find out how Hannah became
the woman she is today,
after selling drugs, suffering
phycological and sexual
abuse when she was a child.
“YOUR STORY MAY BE SI-
MILAR”.
My name is Hannah Soesman. I am a lawyer as well as an
entrepreneur in Suriname and the Caribbean. I was born on
the 25th of February 1974 as the youngest of six children of
Cornelly and the late George Soesman. My mother is a retired
teacher and my father was a boxer and a middle class
worker. He died when I was very young.
I am married to Orlando Olmberg and have five wonderful
children. Together we are the shareholders of OCAMAS
Consultancy and Guguplex Technologies SAC (South
America and the Caribbean) a solar engineering company.
In 2015 I had the privilege to meet Dr. Melida Harris Barrow
at the 2015 Annual CARICOM Sustainable Development
through Entrepreneurship Conference. This was held in
Greneda as part of the Global Entrepreneurship week and
was well-organized by Dr. Marcia Brandon from COESL and
her team. During Conference all attendees were actively networking
with each other and we learned from each other’s
achievements, leadership and life stories. I got inspired
by Dr. Melida and her phenomenal work at the Love, Truth
and Peace Global Initiative. Her motivational speech at this
conference encouraged me to share my journey with the
world, so that others may also be inspired and motivated to
believe in themselves and their destiny. She has also ever
since been a wonderful and inspiring mentor to me, who is
positively impacting my life’s journey toward becoming a
better version of me.
55
I believe that we all have the ability to influence our surroundings
and can have a positive or a negative impact on
others. This we can do intentionally, but also unintentionally.
That is why we should be careful who we surround our
self with and assess our thoughts and actions daily. During
my childhood I have been through many difficulties. I was
a victim of sexual, mental and physical abuse. This had a
very negative impact on my self-esteem and self-image. I
struggled with these issues for years. There were times I
thought that I had overcome it all, but each time when I was
remembered of my past I would fall back into a state of
self-accusation and become depressive. In my teen years
it resulted in me dropping out of school with the conviction
to sell drugs, thinking that money would buy me love, inner
peace, acceptance and security in life. While busy on the
streets looking for people who could help me to meet this
goal, somebody positively influenced my life.

This person told me about Jesus Christ, that he loved me
as I was and that he gives love and peace for free if only I
would dare to ask him. It sounded ridiculous in my ear but
that person urged me to take a change for once and I did.
While praying and asking Jesus forgiveness for my sin as
and being the father I missed, I didn’t feel anything but that
night I slept so peacefully that night, that the next morning
I rushed to talk with this well doer, pastor Patrick Renaldo
Bottse. This positive influence changed my life and I started
visiting the church and went back to school.
Due to the abuse in my childhood, I had a wrong mindset.
I always thought and even believed that I deserved the
abuse, because somehow it was my fault. The self-accusation
made it difficult for me to talk to someone about my
circumstances. The physical and the mental abuse also resulted
in self rejection. I did not even want to look at myself
in the mirror, for I was repeatedly told as a child that adoring
myself in the mirror made me a prostitute and nobody
would ever want to marry me when I grew up. This illusion
was part of my life, even after I got married, until one day I
realized that it was a lie. Discovering that my thoughts of
self-rejection and self-accusation were all lies started when
I began to understand Gods word, telling me to be transformed
by the renewing of my mind. This began of life process
of mind transformation.
I discovered that my biggest obstacles to believe in myself, my
dreams, my value and my destiny were not the things that happened
to me in the past, but my way of thinking about myself. My
conviction of being worthless, being a reject and being incapable
of successfully living my dreams and destiny was determine all
my actions, for as a person thinks of himself so is he/she. Renewing
my mind daily and growing in emotional intelligence is
contributing greatly to my success and personal leadership growth.
This does not mean that I do not make mistakes or never deal
with the feeling of rejection.
My point of view has changed. I am no longer the victim, but I
choose daily to confront and overcome my fears. And each time I
fail, I refuse to give up and get up again. And sometimes it hurts to
get up, but it hurts far more to stay down and give up on myself.
By God’s grace I am a well-respected lawyer in my country as well
as the region. I experience growth of my solar engineering company
together with my husband and the wonderful team of employees
and my family is blessed. These things I would have never
obtained nor will I never be able to sustain if not for God’s grace
and me choosing to never give up on my dreams, despite any circumstance
and through each battle I have to fight within my mind
about my past.
56

INSPIRING STORIES
I am not a super human, but a person just like you who
are reading this article. If I can overcome my fears, and
negative circumstances, so can you.
Join me in never giving up on yourself, in learning
through your failures, in renewing your mindset, in
becoming emotional intelligent and being a positive
influence and leader in our world today.
I LEAVE FOR YOU THE FOLLOWING ADVICE:
► Despite any past or present circumstance, know that
God did not make a mistake when you were born. He
made you intentionally to have a positive and even
phenomenal influence on surrounding, your nation and
even the world. Your destiny is not only for your good,
but within your success lies the success of many
others. So, yes! You are very valuable!
► Review your thoughts about yourself and all things
daily, because many things you count as present are
long time expired.
► Yes, you will fail sometimes and even make mistakes
more times than you would want. So have I. Just know
that failing is not the end, but just lessons you learn
to do better. Get your confidence back and keep on
walking towards your dreams and destiny.
► Develop a habit of reading relevant literature, especially
from people of integrity and high influence and
reflect on the lessons they have learn before you.
57

DID YOU KNOW?
DO YOU KNOW WHO GRANVILLE WOODS
WAS?
BY: KEILA MORENO SALAZAR, B.A.
Granville Tailer Woods was an African American inventor
who had more than 50 patents.
One of his most outstanding inventions was the Multiplex
Telegraph, which is a device to send messages between
train stations and trains.
This great personality of our ethnicity was born on April 23,
1856 in Columbus Ohio of the United States and died on
January 30, 1910.
Wait in our October issue our next Afrodescendant in the
story.
¡Communicate your message
to our readers through
a 1/2 PAGE ad space
like this!
Follow us!
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ethnicities
MAGAZINE
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fill out our contact form or email us at
info@ethnicitiesmagazine.com.

WHY BLACK PEOPLE DON’T WANT
TO BE BLACK IN PANAMA?
BY: LEONEL GÓNDOLA
elchicoemprendedor22@hotmail.com
The more people I meet, the more I love my dog! Racial prejudice in Panama have become
entrenched in the minds of a large segment of the population. Also at certain state
institutions. Although there is no legal letter that might raise racial suspicion.
Kerube, 28 years old, still remembers some of the things
she was told by her grandmother, who died long ago. “As
a child she used to tell me repeatedly not to marry a black
man that I had to improve our race, if not I would have to
comb kinky hair. My mother is white but my father is a
black man she said” she commented three days before her
wedding.
Kerube followed the advice of her grandmother. Her future
husband is tall, white, handsome and of a good family. This
is a reality that happens in many houses of the afro descendant
population in Panama, where they encourage their
children from small with the famous phrase “the race has
to be improved”.
OPINION ARTICLE
Apparently, we all have the same rights. But stronger than
the obsessions on the skin color, it is the apparent sign of
racism, that everything that’s black is bad. Carlos, a sociologist
believes that in the official sphere and in everyday life
like weeds proliferate different variants of racism. And he
claims that the worst of these variants is the black people
who hate being black.
“If subtle racism is already a problem and not so subtle in
companies with foreign capital, tourism and intellectual elites,
so too is the feeling of inferiority that has been growing
among blacks and that the media do not have the courage
to approach. Then observe black men and women who
spend large sums of money to straighten their hair and
seem white. And get to use nicknames and make denigrating
comments of their own race”, the sociologist stated.
Jeers and racist nicknames such as ‘black water’ and
“black soul”, black widow if you get a black cat is bad, the
black Friday, fucking chombo, and others have become
usual or references full of racism, such as a “black man
with a white soul”.
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OPINION ARTICLE
Racism was not brought to Panama Antón Mandinga, Felipillo,
Bayano, Domingo or Congo, nor those who built the
canal. Something happened in Panama, sometime in the
pass, that any sociologists or anthropologists with whom
I’ve shared enough, have been able to explain to me and is
disparaging how many Creole people refers to black man. I
keep hearing these words, and this has been for a long time
and I can blame that ancestral remnant ‘Indian, dove and
ungrateful cat animal’ that was read in the texts of public
schools and copied wrong by imbeciles of our floor and
they do it persistently.
Racial prejudice in Panama, comes from much further
back. When slavery was abolished, it was intended to solve
the problem. Most black slaves became laborers and workers
for low-wage.
In their social integration began in disadvantage. They had
no assets and their education was limited. During the colonial
era they had a commendable performance. Machete
in hand and ragged, farmers, madama, among other works
contributed countless feats. The differences were increased
with the emergence of the Republic on November 3,
1903.
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These were the years during that half of the 1930s, the political
climate in the small Republic of Panama, was heated
by a racist and xenophobic fevered pitch form seasick on
popular attitudes that would find its greatest exponent in
a particular speaker. It was that Arnulfo Arias Madrid who
was born in the small Penonome, capital of the province
of Cocle in the West side of Panama, a 15 August of 1901.
He was elected president in 1940 by a large majority and
influenced by German fascism, he promotes racist policies
that were so controversial, that would result in the deprivation
of voting rights and citizen representation to every
citizen who does not have Spanish-speaking descendants
as native language in the Panamanian population. In addition
he was declaring his support to the Nazi axis powers
during the whole World War II and imprisoned dissidents.
He was overthrown in October 1941 in a coup d’etat backed
by the US and was exiled until 1945. Mr. Pedro Rhodes,
a young lawyer born in the City of Colon who was well
known as a good jurist and who together with venerable Mr.
George W. Westerman, were the only ones who initiated the
most dynamic challenges to the Constitution of 1941, long
before it became Republic Act in January 1941. Mr. Pedro
Rhodes and Mr. George Westerman foresaw the notorious
urgency of undertaking positions in opposition to the new
Constitution of the country, law that indeed they considered
harmful, not only for its citizens, but also had a bad aspect
for their Motherland, that was about to de-nationalize all
their Westindian descent children that were born in the
Republican Panama, after 1903.
That was when Mr. Pedro Rhodes was granted some
time to offer his rebuttals arguments against the law.
Although it turned to a flawless presentation in Spanish,
stating that document draft law was basically
a flagrant violation of human rights of born citizens,
the population of West Indian ancestry from the West
Indies. The Assembly was to prove, which historically
would be designating which had moved on approving
the Panamanian Constitution on the tears of a whole
citizenship. Lawmakers in fact, had come to do some
reviews and approved in the basic structure that law,
which even included notorious clauses denominated
entire Panamanian population and a working well
cover with the label “prohibited immigrant”. Intellectuals
and politicians within the Republic who worked
to abolish racial differences actors.
Thanks to this, many people did not want to be black,
because it was a matter of discrimination. In certain
places people stopped speaking English because
when they went to schools and spoke other children
would say he is “chombo” and many left their language
and others used to speak it only at home, only
not to be discriminated, as stated in the article of the
constitution of 1941.
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OPINION ARTICLE
But in certain Catholic, business, intellectual and institutional
sectors, prejudices prevailed for skin color. There were
whites-only clubs or just for blacks.
State structures and the best job positions remained in
the hands of whites. Despite being a multi ethnic country,
television promoted and continues to promote Caucasian
fashion patterns and beauty.
Even today, Catholic Church continues to look with some
disdain the proliferation of religious syncretism as Santeria,
stick or Abakuá, the Yorubas, the spiritual church and many
other beliefs where blacks and mestizos predominate.
Any ethnologist or sociologist that conduct a surveywill
notice that many black Panamanians aspire to scale social
positions whitewashing their ancestry.
“My goal is to marry a white or yellow, so that my children
are less dark and have the best hair. I hope they do the
same. It is the only way to escape this misfortune with us
for centuries, of being black, poor and forgotten, “ Yasnier,
high school student of a local school.
Here in Panama, racism abounds and we find it daily in our
streets and in different areas of our daily life. Racist people
are selfish and diminish our ordinary people of those blessed
human rights and the possibility of equality and fundamental
rights in the political, economic, cultural, social
aspect.
This was reflected in the census of 2010. The census of
Panama, does not reflect the ethnic reality of its streets,
where more than half of the population is black, although
the latest official numbers estimated to be only 14.9% . “We
maintain that not less than 65% of the Panamanian population
is African descent. You only need to go out and see
what color is the skin of people,” said the director of Panama
Afro Observatory, Attorney Alberto Barrow, wearing his
“kufi” or African hat. They do not want to be black because
that is a synonym of exclusion, since in Panama, the majority
of the population is african descent, when you go into
the streets, see the provinces.
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According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census
know as (INEC) for its abbreviation in Spanish, _ _ there are
currently 586,221 African descent in Panama, representing
14.9% of the total population. We have an IDENTITY ISSUE
IN OUR COUNTRY WITH African descent who do not want
to be black. When the civil servant comes to their home
to gather their information for the census, they deny their
roots, they deny being black, there is no consciousness of
their race, and they do not mark the ethnic box. Every day
we are told that being black is bad. In our everyday life in
our country socially speaking, everything that’s black is
bad. That way is not easy for people to assume their skin
color, to feel proud to be to black man or woman, to feel
excitement about their culture, not be embarrassed. Black
ethnicity is still excluded from the political sphere and the
economic and social power. Although the race problem still
persists to be avoided, however, we will be offering more information
about future issues of race and class in Panama.