An increasing number of working Barbadians are turning to charities for financial and material assistance, raising fears by at least one such organization that the recent budgetary measures announced by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mia Mottley will cause further hardship for low-income families.
“Increasingly, we are seeing that working people are coming to us as well, it is not just employed people . . . .We are seeing more and more people who cannot make ends meet,” Executive Director of Variety the Children’s Charity Donnah Russell told Barbados Today on the fringes of a cheque presentation from the Chefette Fun Run.
The charity, founded by the now deceased Olga Lopes Seales, currently provides for over 400 families, with the number of cases steadily increasing.
“The effect of the budgetary measures will be a little slower than we would hope for, but in the interim electricity will likely go up. We hope that bus fares don’t go up, but the slightest increase in the cost of living really affects the families that we serve,” Russell said.
“We do expect . . . come September there will be parents who are unable to send their children back to school and we expect that there will be some increase. Already we are getting new requests from new applicants,” she added.
Russell said there was a growing number of requests from parents for clothing and shoes, as well as financial assistance to purchase books and help pay bills.
“Things that [the] Welfare [Department] would normally do, we are getting a spillover. The less that welfare can help the more we will get those requests,” she said.
Patty and crew, and the George Street Choir led by Carson Cadogan; you see what the DLP brought this country to. And wunna want people to tek wunna serious and gih wunna a guvmunt tuh run. Tek wunna likes an huh long
This is fear-mongering. The entitlement culture in Barbados must end. The following statement “We do expect . . . come September there will be parents who are unable to send their children back to school” is baloney.
I am for privatizing the Transport Board because of the wastage and dead weight permeating that entity but as long as it is controlled by Government, bus fares should be $5. Paying $2 to travel on public transportation is a joke.
I also believe that PSV’s and ZR’s should be allowed to set their own fares giving the public a choice on whether they want to pay $5 or whatever amount the PSV’s and ZR’s set their fare at.
Children in uniform travelling to and from school should be exempt from this fare.
Barbados is very small, only 34km long, 23km wide with 1600 kilometers of paved roads, an overall population of only 286,666 with density (P/Km) of 666 and no one for the last 10 years could come up with a workable and proper transportation system to move such a minuscule amount of people around.
Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am convinced that two first year students in Public Transport at The Institute of Transport Studies – Monash University with 2 computers would have a flawless transportation system up and running to cover that 1600 Kilometers of paved roads within 6 weeks.
The problem plaguing Public Transportation in such a small place such as Barbados is a manufactured problem and easily solvable.
I do not agree with Busfares costing no 5 Bds, no parent can handle that cost with our cost of living st that level. Why one must not forget some parents has more than one child and it’s not fair to add such a burden placing them even further on the poverty line. I don’t know if placing the Transport board into private hands will solve the problem or effective management with a no nonsense approach in changing attitudes of some lackadaisical workers not taking their work serious. My wish for our country is that we show more work ethics and be more friendlier to customers, a start in building bridges of these kind of frustration which plaque many Government owned businesses. When I think of our Pledge and see some of the things going on behind the scenes makes one wonder.
Remnants of the DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY…lord have mercy.
Let’s look forward, not backward folks. Our respected charities- including VARIETY, and similar folks like the Salvation Army, and our churches, and “service clubs” need some tangible stuff to help those folks who are”out to de baller”. The economy WILL pick-up , but it will take time as there are structural changes also to be made, and these have to be carefully thought -out and implemented.
Meanwhile, just GIVE…as those who cast their bread upon the waters shall have such returned seven-fold, and eight-fold.. Hey, don’t just give today, and when the “Army Kettles” come out at Xmas…….give a little berry, every week, or month. Please?
This charity was started by the late Olga Lopes-Seale which means that it was around long ago, and as more and more black young women believe that they must have a child or two in their hands before they find a job, the worst the problem will become. Further black women believe that if they do not wear false eye lashes, hair etc. that they are not beautiful. We as a people need to put our priorities in place. These are not the old time days when neighbours and relatives were willing to assist when we ran into difficulties. Furthermore, where are the fathers of the children? A woman does not bear a child on her own and the fathers need to support their children. This is not to belittle anyone, but this is a reality.
Let us hope that Land Lords don’t raise rent due to the new water/garbage TAX.
There is no such thing as ‘entitlement culture’.
Everyone relies on the wealth produced in the economy by the labour of Bajan workers.The profits of the businesses, the interest paid to moneylenders, the workers’ wages and salaries, the government’s revenues all come from this wealth.
It is perfectly right in 2018 for the people of Barbados to demand that some of this wealth is used by the government to provide the country with the public services that any modern country needs. This is a more legitimate claim on this wealth than handing it over to business people as personal profit or giving it to moneylenders as interest which is nothing other than unearned income.
How can anyone try to justify the situation in which a worker has to rely on charity to meet the basic needs of their family?
I have said that the WHITE BAJAN PLANTATION CLASS and their INDIAN MUSLIM surrogates will in no way be affected by the increased taxes in Barbados.
ONLY THE BLACK POPULATION of Barbados will suffer. The 97% of Barbados’ population.
Also bear in mind that this is only the beginning. More Govt. taxes are coming. And let us not forget that we are in the hurricane season.
Hurricane IMF is on the way with category 5 winds. Hold wunna belly!!!!!
“Entitlement Culture” ( feed on a diet of freeness.)
Well said CCC, more going to them charities. The article should have been more precise.
@Donild Trimp – can u tell me what support/assistance the EU and America gives to its people? Are there societal elements which are to blame for what u call an ‘entitlement culture’?
@love that one Freeagent – and who is to blame for such psych disfigurement on our women and men? The thing is ALL THIS will continue because to pull up the 97% would mean sinking the 3%, and their 9 000 000 000 dollar hair industry. Now would our politicians do that?NEVER, Cream too sweet.
@CCC-U must always bear in mind that the financial, educational and paych demise of the 97% is what actually fuels financial/economic growth here in little England.
Jennifer
So true. It serves the interests of the 3% of our population to keep Black people in Barbados down trodden. And the sad thing is many Black people seem to love their bottom of the ladder position.
@Kenneth King – “I do not agree with Busfares costing no 5 Bds, no parent can handle that cost”
Are you reading and not understanding what is written? What cost will parents have to handle when I specifically stated that “children in uniform travelling to and from school should be exempt from this fare.” What is so hard to understand about that statement?
@Jennifer – “Donild Trimp – can u tell me what support/assistance the EU and America gives to its people? Are there societal elements which are to blame for what u call an ‘entitlement culture’?
Of course there are societal elements which causes people to fall on hard times and those are the people who we must all help in whatever way possible, and Jennifer, I would not expect a person of your intellect to confuse those people in Barbados who are genuinely in need of help with those who suffers from the entitlement syndrome.
@TEE WHITE – Look around you, the entitlement culture or mentality or syndrome, choose whatever you want to call it, is alive and well in Barbados and it must be eradicated if Barbados is to succeed. I refer you to ALEX ALLEYNE’s short but precise statement above.
Here is an example for you Mr TEE WHITE. I heard a farmer on a radio call in program complaining that he cannot get water from a public standpipe anymore to feed his animals.
While I am at it, here is another one for you. A supervisor billing the Government for work and not turning up for work. Drawing a salary by fraud.
How about all those so called business people who rent space from the Government to conduct their businesses and blatantly refuse to to pay the rent for years and years?
I can go on and on but the article would be too long for this forum. That is the entitlement culture I am talking about and this newly elected Government must bring an end to such foolishness.
The people of Barbados gave this Government a mandate to right the ship because the previous Government just turned a blind eye to all the nonsense and led Barbados down the path of near self destruction.
It should not be business as usual anymore and from the look of things so far, this newly elected Government is doing an excellent job in steering Barbados back to prosperity.
It will get worst under this One term Government as Mascoot the former Co-Leader, now a Yard Duck and the Ministers without Balls giving Bad advice to Mia
Who wants to listen to the same people on here, who were part and parcel of the obliteration of their once powerful political and respected party, now down to the status of Eric Sealy?