Levy Lar-tham, de father of Self-help

Last Monday ah visited ah dear sister who was warded at de Levi Latham Health Centre in Mesopotamia. Ah lovely facility, spotless and clean from ceiling to ground! Full marks to de nurses and cleaners. As ah stepped in de doorway, just like ah heard an ole familiar voice say “Welcome Bassy”.

Ah looked towards de wall, “Wow!” dey he was posing foh one ah his Kodax moment, de late Hon. Levi Latham , de gentleman in whose honour de facility was named.

Ah remember de first day de gentleman and I met and introduced ourselves.

“I am Levy Lar-tam, Latin for Levi Latham, ah know you are Lig-zander de fellar who writes in de papers every week?” Papa Latey was everybody’s Representah; loved by all, proudly answered to de nick-name “Father of Self-help.’ He spoke ah fluent Vincy Creole Language, plus he had practical communication skills.

Wid ah sad face he disclosed dat ah fire had completely destroyed de home (House wid ah Shop downstairs) of one of his constituents in Calder, he was assisting de family wid ah house-spot from his estate in Perseverance, and he looking foh ah sow-veer-yah. Ah asked him how soon. Sharp like razor, he said: “ like last week if not week before”. So ah did de job immediately, and after dat we became close friends, too close.

‘Papa Latey was famous foh making humourous statements dat tickled de crowds. Like when he stumped de crowd at ah public meeting and told dem he planning to build ah Deep ater Wharf up in de Mespotamia Valley, so dat de Banana Boats will navigate up de Yambou River to load Bananas.

Ah was stumped when he asked me if ah heard dat he was building ah Self Help Hospital in de Valley. He explained dat de people needed ah hospital, so he and de community have embarked on dis Self-Help Project. “Come up next weekend and join us,” he said, “come get ah massage in de river as we tek out stones”. He actually went in de river and picked out stones to build his hospital.

He matched his money wid his promises. Surveyed and sold agricultural lands from de Perseverance Estate and donated nuff ah de proceeds from de sales to dis Self Help Project.

Weekly paid workers on dat Hospital Project gave back an extra day free. Seventh Day worshippers worked Sundays, and Sunday worshippers worked Sat-dey foh free. Pappy Latey provided food and drinks and de whole community gravitated to de I-dare.

Another White Elephant:

Dey was obviously Go-venom-mints contribution but happy to say, Levy Lar-Tam lived to see his vision come thru! Today de original Levi Latham Health Centre is ah Polyclinic, what ever dat means; Ah lovely looking” facility with 15 beds, but only two patients . MT, plain and simple cosmetics. Ole people say: “putty and paint” mek ah naughty-gel look like ah Saint. Well elect-shuns due so everything is ah pull-it-tek-all gimmick. Rather dan up graded MCGH and other Polyclinics, we building new Hospital in Arnos Vale.

Le We Dance:

Last week-end ah went to watch my grand-daughter dance at de KCCU Nah-Shun-All Dance Festival, Modern Dance Category. Ah wonder what we need to do to get more of our males – young boys in particular, to join ah Dance Troup wid dey female counterparts, de girls. It was painful watching how de girls outnumbered de boys ten to one. Dey were about 40 dancers, 36 girls and 4 boys. But hear dis, two boys won Gold Medals and two Silver. If yuh notice ah short on names is because de programme didn’t provide any, not even de Solo Dancers.

Ah few hitches, but all de dancers did well, some more dan some. Lickle 7 year ole Jadon Toussaint of Lowmans Hill Anglican Primary won Gold, he was Good. So was Gold Medalist Joel Bute of Poetic Heart Dancers. MC Jehroy Cain did ah good job. Maybe de organizers should pay dem well and demand appropriate dress codes. One never knows who is talent searching at these shows. Ah would ah love to Big Up ah number ah de female dancers who did exceptionally well, but no names on de programme, not even de Solos. Not even Gena ,my Grand-daughter who got two Silver Medals. And wid dat is gone ah gone again

One Love Bassy.

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.