Poverty

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANIZATION-POVERTY

                                               

Poverty is hell and the angels are in paradise

Driving in their limousine where everything is nice and clean 

A poor man living in a teeny-weeny hut

The children hungry,nothing in the pot

He gone by the neighbour to beg for some rice

The neighbour under pressure,"boy things ent nice"

He gone in the big shot area to beg 

A police put a bullet in his teeny weeny leg

He gone in the courts and he lost the case

The prosecutor say he have a bandit face

POVERTY IS HELL !!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the lyrics to Shadows song Poverty is hell and it seemed the most appropriate for the picture above. This picture represents poverty within Port-of-Spain as it shows one of the poorest communities in the city-Sea Lots. It is located in southeastern Port-of- Spain. As seen in the picture people are literally living in huts made of either stolen material or frontage this is because they are mainly squatters. The picture is in black and white as it represents the lives of the people living there, dark, gloomy and hopeless.     

There lives are a constant battle as they fight up with issues such as unemployment,little or no access to clean water, food.electricity, housing or clothing, violent and unhealthy environments, little or no social protection and limited educational opportunities. Furthermore these residents are extremely vulnerable to environmental disasters as they are located right by the see and the materials and houses are not stable to prevent destruction of houses by flooding for example or an earthquake.It is heartbreaking that the rest of society does not recognize that these people suffering and are in dying need of our help. Instead of standing up with them and helping them fight for their rights we turn our backs and look down on them, we see them as lesser than ourselves, or lazy, incompetent government dependent citizens that refuse to work hard to earn a dollar.

Sealots, Laventille and Beetham are known for having poor Afro-Trinidadians that are 'ghetto" and criminal in nature. Most of the population is afraid to venture into those areas because of the perceived crime that has been blown out of proportion by the media creating a fear among citizens. It is absolutely ridiculous, I personally know many citizens living in one of those areas that do not conform to the perception however if after a while of continuously telling someone thing then they become it. I think that is the case with these areas they are constantly told that they are poor and lesser in society so therefore they become that although, there are a few that strive to change the attitudes of people and prove them wrong. Unfortunately the majority fall into the trap. Crime in these areas are due to the lack of employment opportunities and they too have families to feed and take of so income must come from somewhere and if obtaining a legitimate job is impossible then in their minds that is the best solution.  

Again I think it is best to not discriminate and brainwash the nation with all these negatives because these people are people nonetheless and we are all equal. They are just victims of uneven distribution of wealth, mental slavery,negative influences and no role models. 

crime doesn't follow poverty, it follows concentrations of poverty-Reuben Greenberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DSTZf1yRmvU