Franklin Isaiah

Franklin Esajas was born on December 24, 1960 in Paramaribo, Suriname.

In 1968 he left for the Netherlands where he performed a wide variety of activities after secondary school, including: Sailor on inland shipping at Transol; Worked for 18 years at Smithkline Beecham, of which he was secretary of the Works Council for 3 years and left as supervisor in the logistics department; Has been chairman of the SVB - sports association Bijlmer (5th class KNVB) since 1998; Radio producer at Radio MART and is the initiator of his own radio program at Mart Radio "Gedonder op de Donderdag";

Currently television programme maker at MorEsa Productions (secretary);
Co-founder and chairman of the broadcasting association SME-TV and initiator of the much-discussed television program: “Suriname(rs) Viewed Differently”
Programs about Suriname and Surinamese people from our own perspective.
Father of four daughters and one son.

“I became motivated to start the program: “Suriname(rs) Anders Bekeken” because I noticed how great the need was among our target group, for recognizability. The ex-colonies are not or hardly shown on Dutch television. And when they are, it is rarely positive.

I came to the Netherlands as a boy of eight years old and lived in Dutch foster families and homes until I was seventeen. I suddenly had to think and feel Dutch. My Surinamese identity was pushed to the background. Only my black skin color I carried with me, according to my white educators. And by my white peers that black color was often used as a “weapon” against me.

Yet I didn't suffer from it then. I learned a lot from life within the white foster families and boarding schools. Until I opened myself up again as the Surinamese with a black background. The process of awareness that had never disappeared, actively started working again. After eighteen years I went back to Suriname for the first time. A real revelation. Years later I started making current affairs programs at the Surinamese local radio in Amsterdam, which allowed me to reach a larger group with whom I could exchange ideas about living and working in the Netherlands without losing your identity.

In 1998 I got the opportunity to show my own home videos on a local channel in Amsterdam and surroundings. I had no media or journalistic experience at all, but since the reactions of the viewers were beyond expectations, I could not be stopped. People had little trouble with the amateurish camera work. They were interested in the content of the program. I was encouraged from all sides. I invested in my trips to Suriname to continue with these programs.

I also started to highlight the Surinamese people in the Netherlands who were working in a positive way but who could never be seen or heard by their own group.

Every now and then I was spontaneously assisted by third parties during the recordings. Until I contacted Margo Morrison more than a year later. This artist fascinated me with her beautiful Surinamese poems. The way she thought, felt and spoke about Suriname really appealed to me. I wanted to use her poems as a voice-over for certain subjects in my programs. Since then, we have worked together as the MorEsa Productions Foundation on the program: “Suriname(rs) Anders Bekeken”) for Broadcasting Association SME-TV – Collaboration Media Entertainment. We do this work with all our heart and with love for Suriname and the Surinamese population. I thank everyone who believes in us and those who cooperate to bring this product to a successful conclusion.”