A nursery school and a street in Matoury bear the name of the woman who marked the associative, cultural and carnival life of Guyana
Paulette Webb-Louisan died Thursday June 4 in Macouria, at the age of 81, after several years of illness.
Guyana loses one of its cultural figures. Born on May 2, 1945 in Cayenne, Paulette Webb-Louisan devoted a large part of her life to cultural activities, associative development and the promotion of the Guyanese carnival.
The eldest of eight children, she began her professional career in 1961 at the Departmental Water and Electricity Authority, which became EDF. Her journey then took her to several countries, from France to Holland, via Guyana, Puerto Rico, New York and Canada, before her return to Guyana at the beginning of the 1980s.
Back on the territory, she worked at the Botanical Garden of Cayenne and the Industrial Fisheries of Guyana. His mastery of English allows him to translate documents related to maritime activity.
A nursery school in his name
Paulette Webb-Louisan then joined the municipality of Matoury, where she held the position of manager of the socio-cultural center for seventeen years. In this position, she participates in the organization of numerous events, including the School Carnival, the Maroonnage Biennale and the town’s patronal festival.
She continues her commitment to Roura by contributing to the establishment of the tourism committee. At the same time, it is developing several associative initiatives, notably the Matoury information and entertainment service as well as the GAIAC association intended for the elderly in Matoury and Roura.
Recognition of his commitment goes beyond the associative framework. In Matoury, a street as well as the Paulette Webb-Louisan nursery school perpetuate his memory.
A lover of the Guyanese carnival
Paulette Webb-Louisan also leaves her mark in the history of our carnival. In the 1990s, she was part of the trio who helped structure the first carnival committees alongside Armand Hidair and Raymond Egalgi.
The idea was born in 1993 during a trip to the Nice carnival. Winner of a trip, Paulette Webb-Louisan then participates in the parade dressed in a costume representing Guyana, its fauna and its flora. With her companions, she took advantage of this stay to study the organization of the Nice festival committee and draw inspiration from it to create a similar structure in Guyana.
After the presidency of Philippe Alcide-Dit-Clauzel, she took the helm of the carnival committee of the island of Cayenne, which then brought together Cayenne, Matoury, Macouria, Rémire-Montjoly and Roura. Between 1995 and 1998, it focused on developing events in each of the municipalities in the territory concerned.
Under his presidency, the carnival underwent a phase of structuring. It encourages groups to seek financial partners, works to improve the organization of parades and supports the adoption of developments which will have a lasting impact on the event, particularly on the routes of major parades.
In an interview given to France-Guyane in 2007, when she was godmother of the Grand Parade of Cayenne, she said she was committed to preserving the identity of the Guyanese carnival. His wish was to see the traditions that make this popular event unique continue.
The Matoury municipal council paid tribute to him this morning by observing a minute of silence.
The nursery school that bears his name will also observe a minute of silence this Monday, June 9 at 9 a.m.
The France-Guyane editorial team presents its condolences to the family and loved ones of Paulette Webb-Louisan.
