The Gleaner newspaper’s
editorial of August 16, 2011 lamented the poor engagement of the
nation’s youth by the Jamaican government. Stating that nearly 60 per
cent (almost 400,000) of our young people between the ages of 15 and 29
are either unemployed or out of the workforce altogether, the paper
wondered if the nation was not setting itself up for revolts similar to
the 2011 riots in Britain, mainly attributed to disempowered,
disenfranchised and frustrated youth.
It’s
a cry we hear everyday: where are the jobs? Where are the social
intervention programmes? Where are the initiatives to ensure that this
next generation is equipped and ready to make positive contributions to
society? The popular sentiment is that these young people go through the
system and remain largely unengaged, unemployed and depressed (in that
order).
One young lady,
Tameika, shared her frustration in a letter to the editor recently: “I
have done everything that society has asked of me, and now society is
failing me. … I have a student loan which I can't repay because I'm not
working. The Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) doesn't understand, and wants
its money.
“Are you now telling
me that there is no hope for professionals? Did I waste my time going to
college? Will I ever get a permanent teaching job in Jamaica? Am I ever
going to finish paying off the SLB? Am I living in a failed country?”
She
is not alone. Many young people in this country are asking if, after 50
years of Independence, they live in a failed and hopeless state. The
statistics speak for themselves:
Economist Dennis
Morrison lamented that youth (14-24 years) unemployment figures stood at
25.9% in 2008; senior sociology lecturer Orville Taylor noted that it
has since risen to 31% in 2011. The World Bank reports gross
tertiary-level school enrolment at a measly 25% (2009 figures). Of this
percentage, 84.7% of those who leave tertiary-level educational
institutions migrate to other countries to live and work (2000 figures).
It begs the question:
are we, indeed, living in a failed country? Have we lost sight of the
vision that carried our forefathers from slavery to Independence? And
what can be done to infuse our youth with a greater sense of hope and
promise, so that they, like our foreparents, will hold on through the
rough times and find creative and innovative ways to not only outlast
but also thrive in, and gain strength and resolve from, these
challenging times?
This article is part of a writing assignment for Voices
of Our Future a program of World Pulse that provides rigorous new
media and citizen journalism training for grassroots women leaders.
World Pulse lifts and unites the voices of women from some of the most
unheard regions of the world.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Growing Up Jamaica(n) Pt 1
(Talking ‘Bout My
Generation)
We have synchronised our watches, studied our calendars, existed in minutes, and completely forgotten to step back and see what we've accomplished.
- Jodi Piccoult, My Sister’s Keeper
Where did all the great leaders go? The world used to have some pretty amazing people.
I uttered these words to a friend recently and immediately felt their indictment on me, my nation, my generation.
I look around me and often wonder where the deficiency in basic care and concern for our fellow men went. Sometimes, it feels like the human race has deteriorated into a mad pack of selfish seekers, each rushing to attain lofty ideals at the expense of many others.
My allusion to the past is not uncharacteristic. I frequently look back to history for instruction and inspiration. And when I get overwhelmed, (I try not to fall to pieces and freeze), I remember my ancestry of slavery and struggle and remind myself that the same thousand-warrior-strong blood of resilience flows through my veins. I sometimes forget that I am more than meets the eye. But I’m sure I’m not the only one.
So the question is, where did the drive and push that propelled one generation to greatness go? Did it get lost where it should have been transferred? Has my generation lost the essential strength gene that characterises Jamaicans? And as a result, have we entered an age of lackadaisical nonchalance, disspirited resignment and growing resentment in our youth?
And if all of the above is true, could we be sitting on a ticking time bomb?
50 Years of Independence
August 6 this year will mark Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence. We will celebrate an age at which most nations boast wisdom, experience, sagacity. Jamaica, like the rest of the world, is in the throes of an economic meltdown. We’re an amazing island full of vibrant and colourful people. But, like everyone else, we have our fair share of hardships and struggles.
One area of great concern for the nation is youth empowerment. Most of Jamaica’s children formally enter the education system at the age of four years old (early childhood institutions, more commonly referred to as ‘basic schools’.). At six, most of these children begin primary-school education, from which they generally matriculate by age 12. Then on to high school, for another five years, sometimes seven, and after that, for the truly lucky, tertiary education for another three to four years. So, on average, by 23/24, ???% of Jamaica’s youth would have left a tertiary-education institution holding a bachelor’s degree or diploma certificate.
Then what?
This article is part of a writing assignment for Voices of Our Future a program of World Pulse that provides rigorous new media and citizen journalism training for grassroots women leaders. World Pulse lifts and unites the voices of women from some of the most unheard regions of the world.
We have synchronised our watches, studied our calendars, existed in minutes, and completely forgotten to step back and see what we've accomplished.
- Jodi Piccoult, My Sister’s Keeper
Where did all the great leaders go? The world used to have some pretty amazing people.
I uttered these words to a friend recently and immediately felt their indictment on me, my nation, my generation.
I look around me and often wonder where the deficiency in basic care and concern for our fellow men went. Sometimes, it feels like the human race has deteriorated into a mad pack of selfish seekers, each rushing to attain lofty ideals at the expense of many others.
My allusion to the past is not uncharacteristic. I frequently look back to history for instruction and inspiration. And when I get overwhelmed, (I try not to fall to pieces and freeze), I remember my ancestry of slavery and struggle and remind myself that the same thousand-warrior-strong blood of resilience flows through my veins. I sometimes forget that I am more than meets the eye. But I’m sure I’m not the only one.
So the question is, where did the drive and push that propelled one generation to greatness go? Did it get lost where it should have been transferred? Has my generation lost the essential strength gene that characterises Jamaicans? And as a result, have we entered an age of lackadaisical nonchalance, disspirited resignment and growing resentment in our youth?
And if all of the above is true, could we be sitting on a ticking time bomb?
50 Years of Independence
August 6 this year will mark Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence. We will celebrate an age at which most nations boast wisdom, experience, sagacity. Jamaica, like the rest of the world, is in the throes of an economic meltdown. We’re an amazing island full of vibrant and colourful people. But, like everyone else, we have our fair share of hardships and struggles.
One area of great concern for the nation is youth empowerment. Most of Jamaica’s children formally enter the education system at the age of four years old (early childhood institutions, more commonly referred to as ‘basic schools’.). At six, most of these children begin primary-school education, from which they generally matriculate by age 12. Then on to high school, for another five years, sometimes seven, and after that, for the truly lucky, tertiary education for another three to four years. So, on average, by 23/24, ???% of Jamaica’s youth would have left a tertiary-education institution holding a bachelor’s degree or diploma certificate.
Then what?
This article is part of a writing assignment for Voices of Our Future a program of World Pulse that provides rigorous new media and citizen journalism training for grassroots women leaders. World Pulse lifts and unites the voices of women from some of the most unheard regions of the world.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
No Fear!!
I was having dinner (sumptuous marinated pork and brown stew chicken ... nice!). I reached down for the cup, and my fingers hit it so it teetered at a 45 degree angle.
My heart leapt. I don't even know where it went. I quickly righted the cup. Then I thought:What was that feeling?? I should not be this afraid of spilling a cup of water. I should not be this afraid of making a mistake.
Then I had an epiphany: time stilled for a brief second and deep realisation sank in. There it was: a profound thought in a less-than-profound moment: I should not be this afraid of making a mistake!
My heart leapt. I don't even know where it went. I quickly righted the cup. Then I thought:What was that feeling?? I should not be this afraid of spilling a cup of water. I should not be this afraid of making a mistake.
Then I had an epiphany: time stilled for a brief second and deep realisation sank in. There it was: a profound thought in a less-than-profound moment: I should not be this afraid of making a mistake!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
New Project Coming Soon!
I've done putting it all on paper, and now, it goes to action. The project I've been working on for two years finally sounds sensible and plausible enough to see the light of day. So, over the next few days, my posts will be updates on where my project is going ...
My aim has always been to take Jamaican journalism to a level where the people being interviewed are more than just abstract news subjects. I've also had immense interest in and desire to see Jamaican journalism involve more young people. What if I could combine the two?
Look out for more details on my project right here!!
My aim has always been to take Jamaican journalism to a level where the people being interviewed are more than just abstract news subjects. I've also had immense interest in and desire to see Jamaican journalism involve more young people. What if I could combine the two?
Look out for more details on my project right here!!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Customer Service: you know what that means, right?
Jamaica is (well, was, up till recently) graced with three major phone services: LIME (formerly Cable & Wireless), Digicel (from Mossels), and Claro (from America Movil). Well, I have all three services (nah, that's not cause I'm rich - it's cause they're all so bad, you need all three to have something that even slightly resembles decent service).
So recently I had a run-in with a Claro customer service rep (CSR).
Rb: Hello. I'm trying to put this credit on my phone, and I keep getting an error message that the PIN number is invalid. I just bought the card, so that can't be right.
CSR: Ok. Before we begin, I'd like to take some information from you. Will that be alright?
Rb: Yeah. Ok.
CSR: What is your name?
Rb: Rb.
CSR: What is the number of the phone you're trying to put the credit on?
Rb: 123-4567
CSR: Ok Rb. Thank you for that information. Now can you please explain to me what is happening with your phone?
Rb: I'm trying to put credit on my phone and I keep getting an error message that the PIN number is invalid.
CSR: Can you please repeat that?
Rb: I'm trying to put credit on my phone and I keep getting an error message that the PIN number is invalid.
CSR: Ok. So you're trying to put credit on your phone and you keep getting a message that the PIN number is invalid?
Rb: That's what I said.
CSR: OK Rb. Thank you for that information. Now, in order to help you, I will require some more information from you. Is that ok?
Rb: Ok.
CSR: What is your name?
Rb: Rb Br.
CSR: And what is the number of the phone you're trying to pt the credit on?
Rb: 123-4567.
CSR: And you tried putting the credit on the phone and it did not work?
Rb: Yes.
CSR. Thank you very much for that information. OK. I'm seeing here that your credit is at $XX. So,that means the credit you tried to put on your pohone did not go on.
Rb (slighly agitated): Well, that'swhatisaid!
CSR: Well, OK. SOmetimes this happens, and we suggest that you wait for at least 10 minutes to see if the credit comes on, then call back if it doesn't.
Rb: Really.
CSR: yes. Thank you for calling Claro. WQe're always happy to help you. Is there anything else I can help you with.
*Click*. Rb hangs up.
So recently I had a run-in with a Claro customer service rep (CSR).
Rb: Hello. I'm trying to put this credit on my phone, and I keep getting an error message that the PIN number is invalid. I just bought the card, so that can't be right.
CSR: Ok. Before we begin, I'd like to take some information from you. Will that be alright?
Rb: Yeah. Ok.
CSR: What is your name?
Rb: Rb.
CSR: What is the number of the phone you're trying to put the credit on?
Rb: 123-4567
CSR: Ok Rb. Thank you for that information. Now can you please explain to me what is happening with your phone?
Rb: I'm trying to put credit on my phone and I keep getting an error message that the PIN number is invalid.
CSR: Can you please repeat that?
Rb: I'm trying to put credit on my phone and I keep getting an error message that the PIN number is invalid.
CSR: Ok. So you're trying to put credit on your phone and you keep getting a message that the PIN number is invalid?
Rb: That's what I said.
CSR: OK Rb. Thank you for that information. Now, in order to help you, I will require some more information from you. Is that ok?
Rb: Ok.
CSR: What is your name?
Rb: Rb Br.
CSR: And what is the number of the phone you're trying to pt the credit on?
Rb: 123-4567.
CSR: And you tried putting the credit on the phone and it did not work?
Rb: Yes.
CSR. Thank you very much for that information. OK. I'm seeing here that your credit is at $XX. So,that means the credit you tried to put on your pohone did not go on.
Rb (slighly agitated): Well, that'swhatisaid!
CSR: Well, OK. SOmetimes this happens, and we suggest that you wait for at least 10 minutes to see if the credit comes on, then call back if it doesn't.
Rb: Really.
CSR: yes. Thank you for calling Claro. WQe're always happy to help you. Is there anything else I can help you with.
*Click*. Rb hangs up.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Growing Wings - Metamorphosis to Exile
The following is an extract from my essay submitted to the 2011 World Bank essay competition, which was ranked among the top 200 essays submitted.
How Rural Communities Dispossess Their Best And Brightest And How And Why It Must Be Stopped!
Topic: YOUTH MIGRATION
Questions:
(1) How has migration affected you, your family, community and country?
(2) How do you perceive the benefits versus the risks of migration?
(3) What actions can you recommend for broadening opportunities for young migrants in their:
(i) countries of destination, and
(ii) countries of origin?
Summary
The grooming began early. As soon as they found out I was gifted – well, not really gifted, just smart with books and good at school – they started to drop hints and make preparations for the day when they would send me away. Because bright people don’t stay in St. Mary – a rural, farming parish located on the north-east coast of Jamaica. Apparently, if they do, they never get the chance to make anything meaningful of themselves, because in St. Mary, where opportunities are perceived to be scarce-to-nonexistent, all that talent and skill goes to waste.
My schooling and upbringing was an experience in growing wings. Consciously and unconsciously, my parents, teachers, relatives and friends were preparing me for flight from my home town. They had developed a culture of preparing their best, brightest and most skilled people to leave the parish and go elsewhere, mainly to urban parishes, in pursuit of tertiary education and well-paying jobs, and this culture perpetuated a cycle of brain-drain and poverty to which they had become accustomed.
This is my documentary, examining how and why I left my rural hometown to live and work in urban Kingston. I examine methods for a transformation of the dismal view of country and community that my peers and I are often subliminally taught, and suggest methods through which the process of cross-cultural, or rural-urban migration can be better harnessed to benefit sending and receiving countries/communities.
A Caterpillar Appears
I don’t know if anyone has ever said it before, but I believe migration – the movement of people from one place in the world to another for the purpose of taking up permanent or semipermanent residence, usually across a political boundary (National Geographic, para. 1) – begins in the mind. It starts as a thought, triggered by different events or messages that a person receives, processes and stores in his/her brain as he/she grows up. People will always be drawn to the places or things that are presented as most attractive to them. Migration is no different. People see more attractive opportunities in other places, are drawn to them, visualise themselves there, and then leave to reside in these more attractive places, with the hope of acquiring whatever it is that drew them to their destination.
Millions of people migrate annually for various reasons: better financial opportunities, employment, family ties, exile, health, climate … the list is inexhaustible. Whether for love or money, the general sentiment among migrants is that the destination, once reached, will offer far more and better opportunities and longer lasting pleasure than the location being left behind. This, in a way, conforms to the law of attraction.
I know I ought to go home and help build my community
But my family expects me to stay here and become great and make money ....
My friends and I grew up feeling this way. We all knew we weren’t destined to stay in St. Mary. We all knew we would leave.
When I passed the Common Entrance exam and I just knew I was growing wings. When I was a young girl, ‘foreign’ always held special appeal for me. It was this magical place where people went to get rich - a haven, an oasis, the Jamaican Promised Land. Though noone said it, I understood that if I could just get to ‘foreign’, I would come back wealthier, prettier, and generally much better off. It was later, when I grew up, that I realised that migration is not so simple an issue as that.
To be continued ....
How Rural Communities Dispossess Their Best And Brightest And How And Why It Must Be Stopped!
Topic: YOUTH MIGRATION
Questions:
(1) How has migration affected you, your family, community and country?
(2) How do you perceive the benefits versus the risks of migration?
(3) What actions can you recommend for broadening opportunities for young migrants in their:
(i) countries of destination, and
(ii) countries of origin?
Summary
The grooming began early. As soon as they found out I was gifted – well, not really gifted, just smart with books and good at school – they started to drop hints and make preparations for the day when they would send me away. Because bright people don’t stay in St. Mary – a rural, farming parish located on the north-east coast of Jamaica. Apparently, if they do, they never get the chance to make anything meaningful of themselves, because in St. Mary, where opportunities are perceived to be scarce-to-nonexistent, all that talent and skill goes to waste.
My schooling and upbringing was an experience in growing wings. Consciously and unconsciously, my parents, teachers, relatives and friends were preparing me for flight from my home town. They had developed a culture of preparing their best, brightest and most skilled people to leave the parish and go elsewhere, mainly to urban parishes, in pursuit of tertiary education and well-paying jobs, and this culture perpetuated a cycle of brain-drain and poverty to which they had become accustomed.
This is my documentary, examining how and why I left my rural hometown to live and work in urban Kingston. I examine methods for a transformation of the dismal view of country and community that my peers and I are often subliminally taught, and suggest methods through which the process of cross-cultural, or rural-urban migration can be better harnessed to benefit sending and receiving countries/communities.
A Caterpillar Appears
I don’t know if anyone has ever said it before, but I believe migration – the movement of people from one place in the world to another for the purpose of taking up permanent or semipermanent residence, usually across a political boundary (National Geographic, para. 1) – begins in the mind. It starts as a thought, triggered by different events or messages that a person receives, processes and stores in his/her brain as he/she grows up. People will always be drawn to the places or things that are presented as most attractive to them. Migration is no different. People see more attractive opportunities in other places, are drawn to them, visualise themselves there, and then leave to reside in these more attractive places, with the hope of acquiring whatever it is that drew them to their destination.
Millions of people migrate annually for various reasons: better financial opportunities, employment, family ties, exile, health, climate … the list is inexhaustible. Whether for love or money, the general sentiment among migrants is that the destination, once reached, will offer far more and better opportunities and longer lasting pleasure than the location being left behind. This, in a way, conforms to the law of attraction.
I know I ought to go home and help build my community
But my family expects me to stay here and become great and make money ....
My friends and I grew up feeling this way. We all knew we weren’t destined to stay in St. Mary. We all knew we would leave.
When I passed the Common Entrance exam and I just knew I was growing wings. When I was a young girl, ‘foreign’ always held special appeal for me. It was this magical place where people went to get rich - a haven, an oasis, the Jamaican Promised Land. Though noone said it, I understood that if I could just get to ‘foreign’, I would come back wealthier, prettier, and generally much better off. It was later, when I grew up, that I realised that migration is not so simple an issue as that.
To be continued ....
Friday, December 30, 2011
Jamaica Election 2011 Roundup
Winners: People’s
National Party (PNP)
Colour: Orange
Leader: Portia Simpson-Miller
Losers: Jamaica Labour Party (JLP):
Colour: Green
Leader: Andrew Holness
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica’s (ECJ) all-island preliminary results:
People’s National Party (PNP): 41 seats
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP): 22 seats
General reaction in nation:
SHOCK. It was a surprise sweep. Many expected it to be a close contest, but not very many thought that the PNP would win, or that they would win by such a large margin.
High Points:
- Little to no violence. One of, if not the most peaceful we’ve ever had.
- By most accounts, it was a smooth election process.
Areas of Concern:
- Low voter turnout. Stats from the ECJ indicate that approximately 52.10% of eligible voters exercised that right. What of the other 40-odd%?
Important Questions:
- Where do we go from here?
When the noise and excitement has finally settled down, Jamaicans will awake to the reality of the same hardships they faced before the elections. The question will become: can we cross it?
- What does the other 40-odd% of the nation want?
They did not vote, many claiming that they refrained as a statement of their dissatisfaction with both parties. Well, now a party is in power that they say they don’t want. What of it?
Colour: Orange
Leader: Portia Simpson-Miller
Losers: Jamaica Labour Party (JLP):
Colour: Green
Leader: Andrew Holness
The Electoral Commission of Jamaica’s (ECJ) all-island preliminary results:
People’s National Party (PNP): 41 seats
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP): 22 seats
General reaction in nation:
SHOCK. It was a surprise sweep. Many expected it to be a close contest, but not very many thought that the PNP would win, or that they would win by such a large margin.
High Points:
- Little to no violence. One of, if not the most peaceful we’ve ever had.
- By most accounts, it was a smooth election process.
Areas of Concern:
- Low voter turnout. Stats from the ECJ indicate that approximately 52.10% of eligible voters exercised that right. What of the other 40-odd%?
Important Questions:
- Where do we go from here?
When the noise and excitement has finally settled down, Jamaicans will awake to the reality of the same hardships they faced before the elections. The question will become: can we cross it?
- What does the other 40-odd% of the nation want?
They did not vote, many claiming that they refrained as a statement of their dissatisfaction with both parties. Well, now a party is in power that they say they don’t want. What of it?
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