Suriname's Cynthia McLeod-Ferrior receives France's highest national honor, the Légion d’Honneur and

Happy Monday!

This week, we cover Cynthia McLeod-Ferrier, one of Suriname’s most celebrated authors, as she received France’s highest national order. The government increases allowances alongside salaries for government employees.

Surinamese Culture 📕🇸🇷 

Surinamese author Cynthia Mc Leod-Ferrier received France’s highest national honor, the Légion d’Honneur, for her literary work and dedication to preserving history.

• The award was presented by French ambassador Nicolas de Lacoste on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron.

• She was honored for promoting Surinamese history and passing down historical memories across generations, even when those memories are difficult or painful.

• Mc Leod, daughter of the first president of the Republic of Suriname, Johan Ferrier, has spent her life researching and sharing the country’s history through literature.

• In her speech, she linked historical ties with France to the present, mentioning the French energy company TotalEnergies and expressing hope that new oil development will benefit the entire Surinamese population more fairly than in the colonial past.

• She emphasized that understanding history is essential to not remain stuck in the past but to learn from it and do better in the future.

• Her debut novel Hoe duur was de suiker? (How expensive is the Sugar?) (1987) became a bestseller and was later adapted into a film in 2013.

• Over the past 40 years, she has written many historical novels and children’s books, including research on Elisabeth Samson, an 18th-century free Black woman who married a white man.

• Beyond writing, Mc Leod invested book earnings into the boat Sweet Merodia, which offers educational trips teaching young people about Suriname’s history.

• She also supported social causes, including school meals for children and assistance for cancer patients and their families.

Suriname’s Government increases purchasing power 📈

The government announced measures to increase purchasing power for civil servants and vulnerable groups while also reducing waste in the government system.

• President Jennifer Simons said civil servants’ salaries have lost significant value due to currency devaluations, but a general salary increase is currently not economically feasible.

• As such, the government is considering two support models for workers: adjusting tax brackets and providing temporary purchasing-power support to offset inflation.

• Finance Minister Adelien Wijnerman announced that civil servants will receive a monthly allowance starting in March.

• The allowance will be SRD 1000 (March–May), SRD 1250 (June–August), and SRD 1500 (September–December).

• Teachers will receive an additional bridging allowance, starting at SRD 500 in March, rising to SRD 700 in April–May, and SRD 1000 from June onward.

• Pensioners (AOV), people with disabilities, and low-income households will receive an extra SRD 250 per month from March to June.

• The child benefit (AKB) will increase to SRD 250 per child per month, while senior officials (directors and top managers) will not qualify for the new allowances.

• The total cost of the support package is estimated at SRD 1.8 billion, which will be financed by cutting waste, including blocking salaries of non-working or overseas employees, reducing phone expenses drastically, and verifying about 15,000 registered workers to ensure they actually live and work in the country.

Health 🧑🏾‍⚕️🦟

Suriname has been struggling with the Chikungunya virus, as in the past week, 207 additional people in Suriname.

• Since January, the outbreak’s total number of infections has risen to 1,357.

• Authorities still lack the necessary chemicals to carry out large-scale mosquito control measures.

• Health Minister André Misiekaba said Suriname only recently received a positive response from Brazil regarding the import of these chemicals and is expecting a response from French Guiana soon.

• The minister urged citizens to actively help prevent the spread by removing mosquito breeding sites, especially standing water.

• People are advised to sleep under treated mosquito nets and strengthen their immune systems as Misiekaba admitted he did not realize how complicated it is to import chemical control products into the country.

• According to the Bureau of Public Health (BOG), mosquito spraying occurred only once between 2020 and 2025, suggesting insufficient attention to prevention.

• The minister said logistics and contacts had to be rebuilt, but once the chemicals arrive, spraying campaigns will begin immediately.