Thirty years ago, large swaths of Trinidad and Tobago were scarred by deforestation, the islands' inhabitants and ecosystems subject to alternating seasons of devastating fires and floods. Driven by their vision of a more sustainable future, activist Akilah Jaramogi and her late husband, Tacuma, brought the area back to life by reforesting over 125 acres of watershed and founding an agro-forestry community they called Fondes Amandes. Over the past three decades, thanks to Jaramongi's Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project (FACRP), residents of the area have brought the ecology of their community back to life. 60,000 seedlings have since been planted, and the islands' forests and waters are thriving once again.

On April 20, Brown University will be hosting Jaramogi as part of an event entitled Rastafari Women's Environmental Activism. IBES will co-sponsor the event, during which Jaramogi will give a short lecture and screen her acclaimed documentary Earth Water Woman. The session will take place in the Crystal Room from 12:00 - 2:00pm. Learn more about Jaramongi and Earth Water Woman, or view the film's trailer.