Woman of Substance

With faith in God, all things are possible. That could not be truer than in the life of Alberta John-Baptiste Christian. Born in 1929 on Dominica, British West Indies, Alberta Christian's life is literally a capsule of Caribbean history during a time of rapid change; from The Wall Street Crash in 1929 to workers and farmers rebellions from Jamaica in the north to Trinidad in the South, then World War II. The end of the war brought trade unions, more self-government, universal adult suffrage, national independence, and more rights for women, those of African descent and indigenous Carib people. From humble beginnings at Cocoa Center in the Layou Valley, to life in the village of St. Joseph in Dominica, Alberta kept striving for excellence and pushing it to the next level. From way, back, as a dutiful daughter, Alberta showed herself to be a woman of substance. Her romance and marriage to Wendell 'Papa Zafa' Christian, ex-soldier and long-time fire fighter, makes for truly delightful reading in the colonial era. Her first offspring was a special needs child, Christalin, 'Christo' Christian. However, instead of relegating her as a traditional burden, Alberta devotedly nurtured 'Christo' against all odds. She instilled these same core principles into the rest of her seven children. Her first son Wellsworth became the island's first locally born veterinary doctor. Then came the rest of the 'Christian Brothers' Lawson, Samuel and Gabriel followed by the sisters Esther and Theresa, all well accomplished. Ma' Christian's civil service experience began as a voter registrar with the introduction of adult suffrage, then later as a nurse at the St Luke's Mental Home. She made her mark as a progressive Manager of the Workshop for the Blind where she pioneered today's achievements in access for people with disabilities. A part time farmer, and committed civic leader, she was a founding member of the Dominica branch of the British Red Cross.