Garvey: “Poverty is a Hellish State”

Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column published 25 January 2021

By: Jean Lowrie-Chin

The horror of the murder of four street people in Kingston, and the subsequent reports of the condition of the homeless recalls Marcus Garvey’s statement on poverty: “Poverty is a hellish state to be in. It is no virtue. It is a crime. To be poor is to be hungry without possible hope of food; to be sick without hope of medicine; to be tired and sleepy without a place to lay one’s head; to be naked without the hope of clothing; to be despised and comfortless. To be poor is to be a fit subject for crime and hell.” 

This level of poverty leads to homelessness, and we must acknowledge the efforts of this and previous administrations for the safety net of the PATH Programme that has been keeping many a body and soul together. Homelessness is a global problem, and here in Jamaica, it is taken seriously by the Ministry of Local Government and several outreach organizations. However, it is when tragedy strikes that ordinary citizens are jolted by this heart-wrenching situation.

It is not only people with mental issues who end up on the street. On Friday evening TVJ reporter Anthony Lugg interviewed ‘Jodi’, a well-spoken young woman with a 7-year-old son now living on the street. She used to work in a call centre and after she lost her job last year, ended up on the street. She says thugs have stolen all her important documents.

Lugg’s colleague Janella Precius who was presenting the news, posted on social media: “This story broke my heart … I had to DIG DEEP to present the remainder of the newscast.” For those who wish to help Jodi, Janella shared her number: 876-431-1093. We understand that several persons have reached out to assist.

The Open Arms Centre on Windward Road, the Centre for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (CUMI) and the Clarendon Association for Street People (CLASP) are inspiring organisations. I had the pleasure of visiting the Open Arms Centre and left with a purchase of beautiful hassocks crafted by the once-homeless residents. The manager, retired Mental Health Nurse Yvonne Grant was conferred with the MBE in 2019 for her dedication to the mentally ill. Ms Grant walked us through classrooms, workrooms and the grounds where farming is done.  As a result of their training, scores of previously homeless persons are now able to take up jobs and afford their own accommodation.

Nurse Joy Crooks co-founder of the Montego Bay based CUMI can recount many success stories of mentally challenged persons who have made a turnaround in their lives. Hundreds of her clients have been able to return to the community, to obtain work and achieve stability in their lives. CUMI, a community-based non-governmental organization, officially opened its doors in 1991, when a group of concerned citizens established a soup kitchen and rehabilitation centre in Brandon Hill, Montego Bay, St. James. CUMI’s Day Centre has a small staff, supplemented by volunteers and partners. CUMI has since served as a model for several other parishes, including Kingston, Portland, Westmoreland, Clarendon and St. Ann. It partners with the community, private sector and government agencies, and works closely with the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

CLASP was created in 1995 by a group of concerned citizens. They state their mandate as, “to take charge of the mentally ill street people, facilitate the provision of their rehabilitation and return the stabilized ones to the mainstream of the wider society”. They note that their clients are evaluated and counselled by a team from the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) who, along with kind donors including Food for the Poor, provide medication and supplies.

The Jacob’s Ladder project of the Mustard Seed Communities (MSC) was conceived by MSC Founder Monsignor Gregory Ramkissoon, to protect residents with physical and intellectual disabilities after they became 18-years-old, the age when Government subvention would end for his young charges. “We couldn’t allow our people to go on the street,” said Monsignor Ramkissoon. “We had to create a safe haven for them.”

Jacob’s Ladder is nothing short of a community powered by love. The 101 residents are housed in 40 cottages with a supervisor in charge of each group. In the large Centre of Excellence built by the Digicel Foundation, there are therapy, catering, learning and craft facilities. A farm has been established, which helps to provide food for the various residences of the Mustard Seed Community throughout Jamaica.

We can take the example of the compassionate heroes in our midst and volunteer to rescue our homeless. Last Friday’s Jamaica Observer noted that currently, “forcing people off the streets may be in breach of their rights” but calls on legislators to act “to ensure that our most vulnerable people are protected, even against their will, and that good order prevails.”