08/03/2026
Today we wish to highlight a woman of strength and tenacity, Ms. ADELINE DAMACIA DE RAMOS; now the oldest woman of Brasso Seco (born and bred).
She is fondly called "Tants" and "Yaya" by many. Adeline is 98 years old and the mother of one child. She is of mixed Indigenous Amerindian and Cocoa Pañyol heritage.
Born to parents Max and Malta in the year 1927, she was the first of eleven children. The beautiful valley of Brasso Seco was her playground in her early years. She would fearlessly go crawfish and crab-catching alone as well as visit all of the rivers around the village with her siblings and friends. She was never afraid of exploring or trying new things.
She attended the Brasso Seco R.C School, where she was always protective of her younger siblings. Her younger brothers remember that no one could tease them, as she would readily defend them at all costs out of deep love and care. They considered her as their protector. She carried this brave spirit with her through-out her life, where she was always ready for any challenge (from woman or man).
Adeline learned a lot about natural medicine from her mother; a midwife, with whom she shared a deep bond. She was a very hardworking young lady and would often assist her mother with many activities, from taking care of her siblings to working in the garden. She was very helpful to her parents and other elderly neighbors in doing anything that she was called upon to do.
This is where she developed a passion for farming and agriculture. She became employed in many of the Cacao estates where she would do any type of work from climbing trees, to picking oranges, carrying heavy load, cuttting grass and more. These activities, she truly enjoyed. She went on to work as a female labourer in the estates of Lo Macque (North Coast) for many years.
After many hunting trips with her father, she developed another deep passion for the outdoors and for hunting. She became an ace hunter and began venturing into the forest alone. She was often admired by fellow villagers for her fearlessness, being the only woman hunter of her time, traversing the forests of Madamas, Paria Bay and Blanchisseuse, all the way up to Matelot.... Just Adeline and her faithful dogs. She is one of the only four women hunters of Brasso Seco.
She tells a story of one occasion where both her and her husband got lost in the Madamas mountains for days. This was a test of her faith, courage and resilience. Thankfully, she was saved from a deadly encounter with a mapepire, one morning. They soon found a way out over the mountains, into the quiet village of Platanal (Cumaca). And of course, this did not stop Adeline from her love for the forest, for in no time she was back in the bush.
During crab season, she would take her young nieces through rough terrain from Madamas, through the mountains and back into Brasso Seco, creating her own trails and leaving her nieces astonished by her free-spirited personality. She was always happy to share her passion for nature with them. If anyone visited Adeline's home, they would be sure to leave with some boiled chataigne, a hand of silk fig, two dasheen or something else from her yard. She was very generous to her visitors, a trait she developed from her mother. Her daughter admires her strength, bravery and versatility. She is proud of her mother for her ability to do almost any task that a man can do.
Adeline is very knowledgeable about the forests, medicinal herbs, survival skills and ancestral remedies. If she could still move around today, you would find her somewhere in the forest, by the river catching "crayfish" or collecting chataigne.
She is a woman who faced any obstacle head on, who stepped outside of societal expectations, challenged traditional roles, never gave up and in her own way through her life's adventures, redefined what women are capable of and can achieve.
Hats off to a brave warrior and a fearless bush woman who has inspired many!
The Brasso Seco Community extends Women's Day greetings and blessings to all the beautiful women of Brasso Seco and across the globe.
