Also as part of the week of perseverance which was strongly promoted in various schools in the area, the college of Mont des Accords organized several meetings between students and writers. This Friday, March 3, the poet Axelle Kaulanjan will have marked young minds.
If the college students had already exchanged at the beginning of last week with Pierre-André Théodore, Robert Romney and Serge Gumbs, this session will leave them with strong memories. An exceptional woman with a rich and ambitious background, Axelle Kaulanjan is a former journalist who has become an international consultant in political communication and crisis management, business leader and founder of the “Caribbean Boss Lady” movement. It is in her capacity as a poetess that this ray of sunshine from Guadeloupe shared with the Saint-Martin youth a part of her history, including her experience with domestic violence that she kept buried in her "when you are faced with the violence, you have to denounce it, not let it destroy you, and turn it into something interesting” she confided to the sixth, fourth and third graders. A poem entitled "Ta Reine" was born from this dark period which she made a strength. Author of the "Primer LKP: analytical keys and criticism of the movement: journalistic investigation-sociological analysis" written with four hands with Mylène Colmar and directly inspired by the 44-day strike and the difficulties of the Guadeloupean population to meet basic needs, Axelle Kaulanjan has been a true lover of poetry since her earliest childhood: "Even if it's about difficult things, the beauty of a poem, well-turned like a song, gives courage". Coming to present her collection "Fanm Total" released in 2022 in French and Creole, the writer took part in the game of reading and analyzing three poems by the students: La Horde, À nos vies misses and Little Hands. With this first collection, the author wanted to send a message of hope. All the young people present in the CDI room were curious and touched by the life, creativity and strength of spirit of Axelle Kaulanjan. The questions rocketed and the poetess' answers lived up to their expectations. From this beneficial encounter for both parties, the importance of being an example emerges, regardless of social condition or ethnic origin: “All of this should not determine who you are, you are what you decide to be. Your future success will depend on what you decide to do despite the difficulties”. Thanks to Ange-Marie Venthou-Dumaine, librarian teacher at the college, the meeting with Axelle Kaulanjan allows young people from Saint-Martin to leave with more confidence in the future and in themselves. _VX
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