Jeanne - The Mechanic

Born in 1957, not 1961 as her passport mistakenly states, Jeanne comes from the Basque Country on the Spanish side. Her father, a republican, was absent from her life, prompting her to escape Francoism and seek refuge in France at a youngage. At that time her mom had to survive on her own, with no family to back her up.

She was sent from families to families during her youth, with one of them she crossed the Atlantic towards Venezuela. At the time, children's names were often listed on the last page of their father's passport. As Jeanne joined a family with existing children, she was added to the end of the list, placing her officially four years younger than her true age - this led her to be officially born in 1961 instead of 1957.

Jeanne grew from families to families to squat to squat, ending up in the Marina of las palmas as a mechanic and boat repairwoman. We can securely say that she has seen the world, from shipyards of Venezuela to the tobacco plantations of Nicaragua and the cigarettes factories of PMI in Berlin. She followed along friends and acquaintances she met on the way. Always engaged into a cause but never above her sphere of impact. She sympathized with the condition of women in Venezuela and the cause of trostkistes in Berlin.

Without claiming it, she is a force of nature, feminist by indignation, ecologist and vegan by pragmatism. She pushes her fights knowing her limits and without imposing her beliefs upon others.

At over 60 years old, Jeanne survives by fixing boats on the marina of Las palmas. Her weathered hands bear witness to a life of hard work and resilience, while her fluency in multiple languages reflects her global travels, sailtrips and regattas. A white sleeveless shirt, cargo trousers, and her tanned, wrinkled skin, Jeanne exudes an air of quiet confidence and wisdom.

Jeanne surely has a big mouth but there is a lot to learn when one knows how to listen. She is a living testament to the power of adaptability and the enduring strength of the human spirit.Read more