PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Foresee Foundation established Soualichi Stories as a way to preserve Sint Maarten’s rich and deep traditions of oral storytelling and also to draw Sint Maarteners closer during our period of social distancing. These traditional stories and beloved legends originally were intended to be a source of familiarity and culture, and to generate an overall feeling of connectivity to the island and its people, especially for those most vulnerable in our communities.
Over the last 10 weeks, the variety of stories released, and the captivating and creative storytellers involved, have caused the Soualichi Stories series to become a cherished radio pastime for those of all ages. Whether heard on the radio or through the Foresee Foundation’s website, the Soualichi Stories series has found a space in the hearts of all those who follow these broadcasts week after week.
At its 6-story milestone, Soualichi Stories earned recognition and support from a number of agencies and organizations, including the St. Martin Bookfair, the St. Maarten branch of UNESCO and also the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, which helped to ensure that the project reach its proposed objective.
As a part of the St. Martin Bookfair, the Soualichi Stories series used the unique digital platform of the fair to give the general public, at home and overseas, a sneak preview of the previously unseen next phase of the project. The Foresee Foundation revealed three of its stories accompanied by visual scenes and animations, while earlier stories included only audio versions.
Soualichi Stories is proud this week to have reached story 10 in the series with “The Legend of the Walking People,” as told by Jeffrey Sochrin (“Dr. Soc”). Moving forward, the Foresee Foundation has announced that the project will now evolve to its next phase by adding visual scenes to enhance all ten original audio stories it its library. Although requests have been pouring in to continue the weekly story series, the Foresee Foundation first will complete its original task of tailoring the first season (ten stories) of the Soualichi Stories towards its original proposed goal.
As a result, the weekly stories will go on a temporary hiatus after this week’s story. However, this does not mean the end of the initiative, of course. The Foresee Foundation invites the general public to consider their most memorable folk tales or stories and share them with the Foresee Foundation. Who knows? Maybe your story might become one of those selected for season two of the series or maybe, the story becomes a Soualichi Stories legend, passed down to your kin and those who come after.
More Information: For inquiries and to suggest additional St. Maarten folk stories and story tellers, please contact Soualichi Project Coordinator, Laura Hartman, LHartman@depaul.edu, or contact the Foresee Foundation on Facebook.
