City residents raise concerns

A high rate of unemployment, poor housing, blocked drainage and canals, overgrown bush, rat infestation and garbage collection are concerns residents of The City pointed out to members of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), when they walked through the communities yesterday.

However Leader of the BLP, Mia Mottley, has asked these residents, and is appealing to Barbadians to hold on and remain hopeful that better days are ahead.

Mottley said the party has observed that many people are lacking confidence in the attainment of the Barbadian dream.

Speaking to the media at Kensington Lodge, Passage Road, St. Michael, as the BLP rubbed shoulders with residents of The City, Mottley also suggested that many Barbadians are not seeing themselves and their children advancing in the current environment.

She said it was very discomforting and heart-wrenching to interact with young people who have never worked, and some who have not acquired skills since leaving school.

She mentioned that some of them want to go to a university but they do not have the money, and made reference to a Combermere student who wants to become a doctor, but his mother only works part time, occasionally.

“We have intensified our dialogue with the people because we sense they need a reassuring voice; something and someone to believe in again. The ... attitude to problems by this Government has left many, indeed the majority of Barbadians exasperated and shaking their heads.

“So, the BLP will continue on the road across this country to rub shoulders with the people. We will do it individually, and we will do it as a Party. We know more than ever Barbadians need to be told to hold on and to keep the hope alive,” Mottley said.

Member of Parliament for The City, Jeffrey Bostic, said he was pleased that his colleagues got the opportunity to see firsthand the level of socio-economic challenges taking place in his constituency.

He said the experience would facilitate the level of assistance required when the BLP forms “the next government” in the country.

“We were able to hear people discuss issues that are affecting them. We were able to see issues regarding poor housing in this City of Bridgetown [and] the lack employment opportunities. Unemployment in this City is perhaps the highest in this country. We have a number of young people who are frustrated, and they are angry,” Bostic said.

“We have problems with drainage and that is a serious problem in The City. Most of The City is below sea level and the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the drains are not cleaned on a regular basis. Then, there is overgrown bush that is blocking the natural flow of water and that also results in flooding,” he added.

The Member of Parliament said there are constituents depending on tracks to access their homes, and as a result, he called on Government to “build some concrete footpaths” so that ordinary people can get to their houses when it rains.

One of the young residents of The City, Paul Stuart, said there are many young people crying out, and that as they face the reality of unemployment, there is nobody for them to talk to about the hardship they are forced to endure.

Stuart said he was also concerned that many social development programmes in the communities have been abandoned due to a lack of funding.

“They see what going on and they still want us to reach out because they believe in the Party. Today was a good day because the feedback we get from today is that the people really want a change. But you can’t just say you want a change, you have to go out there and make the change,” Stuart declared. (AH)