By Andrew Smith, Staff Reporter
Paintings of Trench Town's most famous sons and Haile Selassie I, done by the community's artist, Michael Robinson. - Andrew Smith / Staff Photographer
WHEN MINISTER of Finance and Planning Dr. Omar Davies gave details of how the 2003/04 Budget would be financed, he made reference to unemployment and living conditions. Unemployment remained flat while the standard of living - in terms of education, health and housing - decreased at the national level. The poverty level moved from 16.8 per cent in 2001 to 18.2 per cent in 2002. To find out how those in this bracket are living, a visit was made to Trench Town in Dr. Davies' constituency of South St. Andrew.
"Nuff yout out deh desperate." These words of Shane Smith - an unemployed 33-year-old painter - are echoed throughout the community. Now that there is peace between Trench Town and Arnett Gardens , otherwise known as 'Jungle', the youth are attempting to survive. However, there are few opportunities in the community. Michael, a 24-year-old father of two daughters, describes his situation. "Mi nah have no work. A football mi used to play for a living, but my club (Galaxy) nah inna de football ting." When asked about his aspirations, he replies, "Mi can do plumbing, (but) wi naw get no opportunity. One or two times wi get a likkle work... and a dat till next time again." He says that he would like to see a vocational centre set up in the community to teach skills such as carpentry which would help the youth to find work.
The 2002 Survey of Living Conditions quoted by the Minister refers to the fact that the proportion of unemployed females is twice as much as males. This is in spite of women having more responsibilities. Audrey was employed in the freezone but has not worked since being made redundant three years ago. A mother of two and grandmother of three, she says, "Ghetto people waan work... wi nuh really waan nuh handout from nuhbody. So if yuh have someting weh can help wi... mi can do anyting."
"Anyting" includes working in a factory similar to her freezone job, or as an office helper. Currently, like many Jamaicans, she relies on sporadic remittances from "foreign" to meet the needs of her and her family.
EDUCATION - THE WAY FORWARD
Michelle and Kisha are sisters aged 25 and 27. Both are unemployed, yet share a common drive to succeed. Kisha enjoys working with children and senior citizens and would like to become a registered nurse or a physio-aid. Michelle has experience in entertainment with the Area Boy group and has also been involved with the National Youth Service and the HEART Academy. So far, they have only been able to hold down temporary jobs because they lack CXC or GCE passes. The main obstacle for them to obtain their subjects is money. In Michelle's words, "We need to get a steady job to finance ourselves to go back to classes to get ourselves qualified."
Dr. Davies spoke at length about how Jamaica has benefited from the debts which the country has incurred, pointing to roads, hospitals and highways. Michelle has another suggestion as to how these funds can be invested, "I think the Government should set up something (so) that we can work and go to classes (or) give us some loans and we can pay them back after we get the job." In spite of this suggestion, Michelle is realistic that the chances of them getting loans are small. "Being in the ghetto, you don't have anything that they can hold on to in order to get a loan just like that. I don't think people like us would get loans."
HEALTH AND HOUSING
On the streets of Trench Town, it is easy to see where improvements are needed. Health hazards abound in the form of inadequate drainage. Michael Robinson, a multi-talented artist, says, "Right now wi have some drains which well waan clean out... the
manhole dem bus' for nearly a year now. Likkle pickney - when rain fall - dem play inna the (sewerage) water." With reference to the buildings, Michael says, "The only changes mi see is the buildings dem a paint."
COMMUNITY-BASED DEVELOPMENT
Michael Robinson is the artist responsible for the National Stadium's Wall of Fame. His many talents include painting, carving and sculpting and has worked in Negril where his work is at the Jungle Night Club and the Rock House Hotel. Both Edward Seaga and Omar Davies approached him to do work at the Arnett Gardens sports complex. He has a letter sent by Queen Elizabeth II after he painted her portrait when she visited the Hugh Sherlock All-Age School.
Michael sees the development of the community as the twofold responsibility of the Government and the community. The Ministers need to interact with the people of the community to find out what is needed. This is not being done. Michael says, "The only time wi si de minister is when dem have a little function at Arnett Gardens Sport Complex. Dem come out of dem car and gone inna the VIP section (and) as dem come out, dem gone again - dem naw listen to what de yout dem a seh. You si if the minister did a walk and did really si what a tek place inna de ghetto, nuff a de crime weh a gwaan now woulda cut down."
Michael is willing to volunteer his services to assist the youth of the community and he has had requests from many youngsters for him to pass on his artistic skills to them. For him to do this, he needs assistance to obtain tools, material and a building. He appeals to any minister "to grant us some loans. Dem no haffi put the money in mi hands... a just the material to help the yout dem and a building."
WHAT'S NEXT?
The consensus of the community is that if they do not get opportunities, the idleness of the youth will cause them to pick up the gun. Shane Smith makes an appeal to those who have ultimate power: "Right now mi would like to see nuff of dem minister and deh people weh inna first class society to jus come out an reach de yout dem weh all bout inna de community."
Some already have. The Trench Town Culture Yard is supported by the Franciscan Ministries and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo). The culture yard, based around Bob Marley's home, attracts tourists from Europe and Japan. It has the potential to draw more visitors annually.
In October 2002, Red Clay Arts from Brooklyn, New York, spent two weeks teaching photography to the youngsters. The resulting exhibition at the Immaculate Convent was well received and was followed by a visit by Renee Cox. This world-famous Jamaican photographer visited in December from New York to further encourage these children. Now these gifted photographers need an opportunity to utilise their new skills productively. Peter is one of the youngsters who participated in this project and at 17 years old is seen as a role model for the younger ones. Right now, he is idle, but has a burning desire to continue his photography.
