Gouyave, Granada Island.
In 2004, the Island of Granada was hit by Hurricane Ivan, destroying most, if not all of the nutmeg and other spice plantations, affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of families. In the town of Gouyave, 20km from the capital, men, who dominated the industry, losing their sources of income, start fishing to obtain their livelihood.
After the extensive damage to the economy, and in the face of such calamity and despair, the women of the town proactively decided to overcome this tragedy by resuming the production of nutmeg. Two labour unions were organized and created. One of them was in charge of planting and harvesting the Myristica trees, from which the nutmeg is obtained, and the other tasked with reactivating the processing and packaging factory.
As the project progressed and the industry was reborn, productivity levels surpassed pre-hurricane times. The biggest catalyst for this success was touching. The women of the community had the ability to better detect which nuts were dry enough to be exported by feeling them, their rugosity.
This new reality is an example of overcoming adversity, of undertaking and wanting to get ahead; now this factory managed to win large contracts for its product, thus exporting to many of the world's great cities.
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