Nation Builders – ADOLFA GARCIA

Elizabeth Pridgeon

People have acknowledged Ms. Adolfa Garcia’s contribution to Belizean society for decades, but it wasn’t until recently that the Women’s Issues Network (WIN-Belize) officially recognized all Ms. Adolfa’s contributions through the publication of their book dedicated to like-minded ‘Bembe’ women.  The adjective ‘Bembe’ conjures up images of women of a certain stature and strength who in the past refused to be confined by middle class, patriarchal moralists; ‘Bembe’ women sought careers, actively participated in sports, and initiated demonstrations and petitions to promote human rights for the betterment of Belizean society.  Ms. Adolfa Garcia is the quintessential ‘Bembe’ woman, and undoubtedly deserving of the title ‘Nation Builder’.

Ms. Adolfa was born, raised and educated in Yo Creek village in the Orange Walk District.  The cultural heritage of the village may be considered a blessing today, but in the early twentieth century, the orthodox yet antiquated patriarchal social structures ensured that women were often beaten, abused, denied fundamental human rights and forced to live as inferior to their male counterparts for their entire lives.  It is no surprise, therefore, that Ms. Adolfa grew up in a family where beatings were commonplace, and domestic abuse dictated the health and happiness of Ms. Adolfa’s entire family.

Despite the hardships posed within the household, Ms. Adolfa displayed a strong character and praise-worthy morals from an early age.  When she enrolled in the village school, Ms. Adolfa immersed herself in education and found her passion in life.  She fought for the continued privilege of an education through persistently ensuring that all her household and yard chores (such as washing and grinding maize) were completed before the school day commenced: only by awaking in the early hours of the morning could Ms. Adolfa guarantee that she would still be able to complete her duties and be permitted to attend classes.  Dedication and enthusiasm for schooling (particularly in a girl) was almost unheard of at the time, and Ms. Adolfa admits that perhaps some people viewed her as an eccentric young child, but her enthusiasm persisted.

At the age of 13 years, when all of her peers had already completed schooling in the village, Ms. Adolfa was still attending classes in the hope of gleaning greater knowledge.  Seen as a willing, obedient and hard-working girl, the management board for the school offered Ms. Adolfa a job as a school monitor, which enabled her to continue attending classes while she worked.  She remembers nostalgically that she would always arrive before the expected time, and would hurry in her work in order to be able to pay full attention once the classes began.  Earning a stipend of $2/month was an added bonus for Ms. Adolfa, and she remembers clearly how she spent her first pay-cheque on purchasing a pair of local-made chanclas for herself.

When Ms Adolfa turned 14 years old, a transfer teacher arrived at the school in Yo Creek: a Garifuna man.  At the time, this teacher had the unenviable position as the first black teacher in the village, and he met with significant racist resistance from villagers.  Ms. Adolfa, however, saw beyond his colour and was grateful merely for his presence and his ability to continue teaching in the school.  Forming a working relationship, this teacher than recommended Ms. Adolfa as a pupil teacher and shortly afterwards Ms Adolfa moved to Orange Walk to teach alongside the nuns at La Inmaculada Primary School.

Ms Adolfa spent several years studying and learning whilst also teaching at the town’s school, and she persistently declined proposals to marry local men (despite her family frowning upon her hesitation and the perceived dishonor of her younger sister marrying before her).  Social stigma and expectations mattered little to Ms Adolfa, and she immersed herself in books.  In her second year of study, she was awarded a book prize for her skills in mathematics, and she all but devoured the Complete Works of Shakespeare she received, finding a passion in ancient drama too.

However, Ms Adolfa’s remarkable educational progress was interrupted by the premature death of her mother, aged just 40 years old, in 1945.  One of her mother’s last wishes was that Ms. Adolfa marry a particular village man in Yo Creek, and not wanting to deny her mother’s death-wish, Ms. Adolfa was married on 20^th May 1945, just a few months after her mother’s death.  Exactly a year to the day later, the first of six children was born to Ms. Adolfa.  However, the marriage was wrought with problems, not least because Ms. Adolfa’s husband had a catastrophic weakness for alcohol, and was as equally abusive as her father had been.  She quickly realized that she couldn’t live her life fully without being happy, and therefore her marriage threatened to cost her dedication to her country, church and profession; she made a resolve that as soon as the children were old enough, she would leave her husband and regain her former happiness via independent living.

And this she did, and she has never looked back.  She immersed herself in teaching, she prepared students and teachers for scholarships, she organized nationwide debates for her local team, she created the Yo Creek sub-library (the first of its kind) and she perpetually sought to better herself and her students.  She voluntarily enrolled in educational summer vocation courses at Central Farm, learning various subjects including animal husbandry and horticulture.  Simultaneously, she evolved spiritually and politically into the proactive, national treasure that she is today.

She tirelessly campaigned alongside the PUP for Belizean independence, and claims she was the “happiest woman in the world” on 21^st September, 1981.  However, her political persuasion never interfered with her professional career, and she even remembers rallying against her very own party during a demonstration to improve the standards for members of the Teachers Union!  “The Lord gave me a mouth to talk” is a mantra of Ms. Adolfa which perfectly surmises her outgoing personality.  Ms. Adolfa never forgot the difference between right and wrong, between morally acceptable and morally inexcusable, between ethical and unethical, and for this strength of character, she has been a stalwart and dependable member of Belizean society for decades.

Since her official retirement in the 1980s, Ms. Adolfa has further developed the spiritual aspect of her character, and has dedicated herself to the advancement of her community through the St. Francis Prayer Centre.  She donated a part of her residential land towards the creation of the religious meeting centre, which now attracts a growing congregation from the local community.  She has also initiated a monthly feeding program for underprivileged children in her neighbourhood, which donates food and clothing to those most in need through the support of various local charities and donors.

And yet, despite all this remarkable biography of Ms. Adolfa, she still maintains that she is not worthy of praise, because everything she does is because of the Lord’s instruction.  Ms. Adolfa was enthusiastic throughout her youth and early adulthood, and she remains endearingly energetic in her old age, determined to continue offering as much as possible to her local society and her fellow countrymen.   The admirable qualities that Ms. Adolfa represents are hard to find among today’s youth, and her zest and vigour for improving the lives and opportunities of other Belizeans is what makes her unique in today’s decaying and self-destructive society.  Ms. Adolfa’s unflinching determination and ambition made her the successful role-model that she is today, and it can only be hoped that the younger generations appreciate her value – and all she represents – and learn from her in order to better their own lives and their own impact on a positive Belizean future.

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