Women of Distinction | Meet Tamika Davis, the girl from Middlesex with big dreams

Western Bureau - 

As a daughter of Middlesex community in Hanover Western, Tamika Davis, who ousted the People’s National Party's (PNP) Ian Hayles to become the constituency's new Member of Parliament in the general election on September 3, 2020, sees herself as more much than just the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) representative because of her vested interest in the community.

Davis, the only girl in a family of three children, recognised from an early age that, like her mother, a teacher by profession, she had an innate desire to serve her country, albeit not necessary in politics, where she has now found herself representing her home district and the communities in which she grew up and attended school.   

“I went to Middlesex Corner Primary School and then went on to Rusea's High School. I did my sixth form at Hampton (St Elizabeth), then I went to The University of the West Indies (UWI). I was called to the Bar in 2005, so I am an attorney of 15 years' experience. I returned to my parish after I was called to the Bar. My first stint as an attorney (in 2005) saw me as the Clerk of Court for the Family Court, for the parishes of St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland," said Davis. 

“It has always been my desire to give back to Hanover. It is almost like a childhood dream,” said Davis, as she reflected on growing up in Middlesex without a proper source of water, bad road conditions and probably most the vexing of all, no streetlights.

After returning home to western Hanover, having completed the current phase of her educational development, Davis realised that not much had changed since her childhood as it related to basic infrastructure such as roads and water, a situation she found intolerable

Davis decided that rather than to sit on the sideline and wait on others to make the change, she should become a part of that change. After looking at the various options, she decided that entering representational politics would be the ideal vehicle to make her contribution.

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, all the other parishes have developed in some way or the other, and somehow Hanover is left behind. We [in Hanover] are still struggling with problems that have plagued us since I was a child,” said Davis. 

Now that she is in position to do many of the things she has always wanted to see done, Davis is dreaming big dreams. She is hell bent on repaying the confidence the people have placed in her by asking her to be their representative in parliament. 

“People are looking to me for change and I know that I cannot afford to disappoint them,” said Davis.

“…. I have a vested interest in the parish, it is personal… I want Hanover Western’s Flag to fly high.” 

For those who might be tempted to doubt Davis’ capacity to keep her word, they just need to remember the many persons who doubted her when she promised to unseat three-term MP Ian Hayles, which she did in fine style, flogging her opponent by a 6,008 to 4,987 margin, ending the PNP’s 31-year dominance in western Hanover.