Antiguan entrepreneur Refica Attwood is so busy she doesn’t even get one day off.

Most of the time Refica, who is a logger and an environmental activist, can be found in the Wallings forest area chopping down trees with her father.

But she’s also a mother to two girls and the founder of ‘RA Events’ which organises hikes and educates people about the importance of looking after the forest and the environment.

Yello asked Refica to tell us more about her life as an entrepreneur in Antigua, why she started the not-for-profit company ‘Wallings Nature Reserve Inc’, and what she loves about her country.

Describe yourself using three words.

Ambitious, confident and a trendsetter.

Please share a little bit about your background – childhood, schooling etc.

I’m the oldest girl child for my mother. I was always a serious child and could read fluently by the age of six. I attended the John Hughes Primary School, now called the Charlesworth T Samuel, and then the All Saints Secondary School.

To date I haven’t attended college but have studied online and through other programmes.

Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur wasn’t something I wanted to do, however, I realised after years of being an employee and working long hours without proper incentives, that if I could invest time, effort and energy into other people then my own business could be successful.

Tell us when / why you started RA Events?

I officially registered RA Events in January 2016 but its inception was 2014.

I had just completed a job for my previous employer for four days, working 12-hour days, when I realised all my hard work was not appreciated.

What was the biggest challenge you faced starting the business?

My biggest challenge was support. Persons wanted to know if I was trying to get rich overnight and some of them even said that they would never support the venture.

Tell us about the Wallings Nature Reserve?

The not-for-profit company Wallings Nature Reserve Inc was incorporated and started by me in 2018 to protect the community of John Hughes and to restore the Wallings forest area.

The area has been neglected for many years and the result of that neglect is derelict conditions.

Wallings Nature Reserve Inc is now the administrator that will protect, uphold, repair and maintain the Wallings forest area so that generations to come can enjoy this magnificent place.

You describe yourself as a logger – for those who don’t know, what is that?

Well, when I’m not dressed up, you can find me working in the forest, that’s where I find great joy assisting fishermen, farmers, hotels and developers who use forest products for various reasons such as beautification and farming.

I work as a logger with my father and we provide a unique, full-time service. A logger is someone whose job it is to cut down trees for various uses while making a livelihood.

I consider this a beneficial profession because I’m always learning about the forest and how trees can be used for food as well as traditional medicine. I get the job done daily with the aid of my donkeys.

What’s your typical day like?

My typical day starts at 5am. I travel into the bushes, attend meetings, answer lots of emails and phone calls. My day typically ends at 9pm.

How do you balance work and raising a family?

I have two beautiful girls. One lives with her father and the other one goes everywhere with me. If I have an unexpected meeting she stays with her grandmother until I’m finished.

Usually you will find her under my desk, lying beside the desk or sitting right next to me while I work and assist her with homework. Whenever I hike she’s usually right next to me.

What other projects are you working on now?

I am the secretary of another non-governmental organisation called ‘Zero Waste Antigua Barbuda’ and I assist other NGO’s and communities whenever I can.

What are your personal goals over the next five-10 years?

My personal goals are to get the highest degree I can in project management and human resource management, get married and have another child and build my dream home.

Who is / are your role models? Why?

My role model is my father Joseph Francis (one of his nicknames is Spanner). He smiles about everything and even if he gets angry, just give him five minutes, and he’s back to smiling again.

I think he takes his anger out on the trees when he chops them, as we work three to four hours a day.

Over the years he has taught me to adjust to any situation and learn to be flexible, as changes can occur in an instant.

What do you love about Antigua and Barbuda?

Antigua and Barbuda is a unique place.

Describe your country in one word.

Extraordinary!

What do you do on your days off?

At present I don’t have days off, however, I sometimes try to take time to read and unwind.

Where do you go to relax with family / friends?

I drag my friends hiking since they say that they want to tone up and get fit.

If I was visiting Antigua and Barbuda which three places should I see?

Wallings is a must-see because we have so much to do here. South Coast Horizons (in the south of the island) and Stingray City are two other great places to visit.

How is Antigua and Barbuda different from the rest of the Caribbean?

Antigua and Barbuda is different because we have so much more to offer than sun, sea and sand.

What is your motto / philosophy to life?

My motto is to make changes to my life and surroundings using slow, measured steps.

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Visit the Wallings Nature Reserve’s Facebook page for more information on the project.