The poorest not getting the help needed – Sir Louis Straker knocks public servants
THE WAY the public assistance programme is set up, and the way several of the local charities and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) function is sometimes ineffective.
That is the assessment of Sir Louis Straker, Chairman of the SVG Friendship Foundation (UK) which he shared at a recent public function.
Sir Louis spoke of the improper functioning of some of these organizations and the unprofessionalism of some public servants.
“I must say that sometimes we do not reach out to the very poorest among us, because sometimes the poorest among us might not have even heard about what we are doing here,” the former Deputy Prime Minister said at the annual function for the presentation of bursaries to students granted by the SVG Friendship Foundation (UK) which took place at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown, on August 16, 2024.
“…and they have the weight, the burden, the anxiety of how to find the funds to help their children,” Sir Louis told the gathering.
He shared being recently told about a five-member family (mother, father and three children) in Campen Park who live in a fowl pen under a rock.
“…no toilet facilities, no potable water, no stove, nothing they have. I asked whether they are not on public assistance and they said ‘no, they are not’.
“It hurts my heart to know there are people among us who would have the need and yet nobody reaches out to them,” Sir Louis lamented.
He said there are people in the various government ministries who should be going out and collecting information on who these people are “…but many of them just sit down in the office and wait until the end of the month come to collect their salaries”.
Sir Louis told the gathering that he gave a JAX Department Store voucher valued at EC$400 to be delivered to the family in Campden Park to be used for school supplies, while he was seeking further assistance for the family.
“It hurts me, it weighs very heavily on my heart to know it have people of that kind, and sometimes when we have things for the poor, the people who would get it are the policemen children, the nurses’ children, civil servants’ children, these can fight for themselves, and the poor people who don’t even know where to go they get nothing or they push the poorer ones out.
“…and when you tell them ‘you are civil servant, you are policeman, you are teacher’ they say ‘we poor too’”, Sir Louis added.
“…but we have to have compassion for those who are very poor. Look out for them in our communities and if they don’t know where to go, and you know, lead them where they can go to get some assistance.”
He said currently, a lot of funds are available to help the needy, but the way the system is set up allows one person
to be able to access funds from multiple entities while others have no chance of getting help from even one source.
“I know you have been receiving a lot of funds lately. Some of you get funds through the Zero Hunger Food Programme, some get through the Hurricane Disaster Relief monies, and some people- I’m not saying all of you- might be triple dipping, while there are some who get just once or none at all,” Sir Louis remarked.
He noted that High Commissioner of St Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Kingdom (UK), Cenio Lewis, and his mission have done a lot for children in SVG.
“There is no mission that has done more for the children of SVG than the High Commission in London,” Sir Louis declared, adding, “sometimes I fear that those who come might be so focussed on the monies they are receiving that they have had very little time to reflect on those that have worked hard to mobilize the funds so that you can get it and that would bring a smile on your face,” Sir Louis reminded.
“…we have to reflect on the persons abroad who are thinking of you, you may not think of them but they are thinking of you and how they can make your life a little easier.
“It is not only a handout, but an investment in the future of our country as the recipients are the men and women of tomorrow and we expect them to continue to build the country even in our golden years and even when we are gone.”
During the ceremony, Sir Louis said the SVG friendship Foundation (UK) asked him to give the government EC$50,000 to help hurricane victims, in addition to the EC$50,000 being given to students.
However, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that no representative from the Treasury Department was at the function although he had asked the Treasury to send someone to collect the cheque.
“It just shows you sometimes how these civil servants are slack when it comes to their business. I told them up to yesterday they have a cheque for $50,000, they said ‘yes somebody would come to accept it for the government’, I wish it wasn’t made payable to them, I would put it in my own bank account, but I have to take it to them because it is already made up to the Accountant General/Hurricane Beryl Disaster Fund.”
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