EXCUSES WILL ALWAYS BE THERE . . . OPPORTUNITY WON’T!

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]atural disasters and tragic events seem to have the power to cause persons to, all of a sudden, be empathetic to the needs and suffering of others. The flood of visitors, including public officials, to affected areas presents opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge of local problems. The community of Coolie Town was in the spotlight recently due to the sudden death of four community members. It is hoped that the recent interest in the community brings with it the opportunity for much-needed improvements in a number of socio-economic areas. However, I would like to draw attention to a situation in the nearby community of Jacmel.

The national focus has been drawn to Jacmel, or areas in close proximity, at various times, for various reasons: the destruction of the primary school by fire, the shooting of several individuals in the nearby community of Bois Den and the aforementioned Coolie Town deaths, to name a few. Did the social problems in the community escape the attention of the powers that be and the wider society, or are they seen as beyond reform?    

Few communities surpass Jacmel in terms of infrastructure intended for communal use and the housing of projects for social and human development. However, many of these facilities are in a state of disrepair, including the day-care centre and the various sporting facilities. Additionally, the community centre seems to be used exclusively for festive activities and, of late, the basketball court appears to be utilized by a private entity.

Much like the community of Coolie Town, teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse are some of the social problems. Unemployment is also of concern. There appears to be a high number of school dropouts and a lack of interest in academic development among some of the youth. Young people generally display a lackadaisical approach towards school. For some of these young ones, what appears to be a laissez-faire attitude may, in fact, be the consequence of the poor economic circumstances of their families.

Some blame the poor state of the communal facilities and other issues in the community on the divisive nature of politics while the more superstitious among us point to what they call a “generational curse”. However, it may well be that infrastructural development is being incorrectly equated to social development. Whatever the case, here’s hoping it doesn’t take another natural disaster or tragedy for Jacmel to receive the attention it so desperately needs.