Dorcas Gwendolyn Corrilla Eliza Beazer – Williams

 

bb: Hello Dorcas, Tell us about your names…

DBW: I was born on 16 October 1965, which makes me 48 years old and I proudly carry these old names from my grandparents.

bb: Tell us about your family

DBW: My mother recently passed away and I have two brothers, I am the second there is one older than me and one younger than me, and I have one sister who is the third in the family.

bb: Where were you born Dorcas?

DBW: I was born in Barbuda at home where my sister Janice still lives now, over in Mullatta Quarter. I am the last of six children: two boys and four girls. My oldest brother died in 2010 in Antigua and I have a sister and brother in Barbuda and two sisters in New York.

bb: Tell us about your education and your work?

DBW: I went to holy Trinity School in Barbuda and then went to Antigua state college where I studied business administration. After college I got married at quite a young age to an Antigua man and settled down, I have three boys aged 27, 24, and 23.

I wanted to go on to do nursing but stayed at home to look after my children and worked part-time in accounting, banking and office administration. After that I started my own business in retail, and had a day spa where people could get beauty treatments. I still do the treatments, but by appointment only. I am currently a council member representing the Barbuda People’s Movement on the new council. I have been the only female Councillor since 2011, and prior to the recent election I was responsible for Tourism, Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs.

bb: What is your favourite food in Barbuda and where is the place you like to go the most?

DBW: My favourite food is land turtle and I love berries wine, an old-time drink made from local berries. My mother was famous for that and when I was younger I would sneak some out of the bottle and top it up with water! My favourite places are the caves at two foot Bay and I like visiting the birds in the bird sanctuary.

bb: What are your plans for the future Dorcas?

DBW: I have travelled quite a bit; I’ve been to the UK to the USA and several other places in the Caribbean but in the future I would like to see more of the world.

bb: What advice would you give to young Barbudans?

DBW: My advice would be slow down, observe what is around you, what is here. Seek to develop what we have in your own way, and make your own contribution to life in Barbuda.

bb: Thank you Dorcas, for being on “It’s My Life”, we wish you well for the future.