Pleading for PATH

Paula Graham, who has been trying since the COVID-19 pandemic to get her two sons registered on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), says she has now given up even though she is not working and is struggling to send one of them to high school.

The mother of four, who was also desirous of registering herself on the programme, said she has made several attempts to get her 14-year-old and 20-year-old, who suffers from Down’s syndrome, on the programme but without luck.

“Every time mi try still, is like nothing naa happen, so mi just leave it alone,” she said.

Graham shared that she used to sell juices but was forced to stop after the fridge broke down.

According to her, due to financial hardship, she is unable to send her son to school every day but tries her very best to ensure that he remains in school.

Graham is one of several residents from the Salt Lake community in St Thomas who are struggling to make ends meet but say they are experiencing difficulties in getting registered on the PATH and are calling for the authorities to intervene. Some of the citizens hustle from a nearby dump to survive.

Removed from programme

Another resident, Beverly Anderson, said she was taken off the programme because of re-registration, and similarly, has been trying without much success to get reinstated.

The 50-year-old woman, who is obese and diabetic, said her weight issue started around 1997 and owing to that, she is unable to work because of shortness of breath whenever she moves.

Anderson, who has also expressed a desire for assistance to start a seasoning or cleaning chemicals stall at her home, believes that the PATH would make a difference in her life.

“My life is very hard because sometimes me waan go by the hospital, me can’t make it because every time, the vehicle dem, tru me cyaan do the far walking, dem charge ‘bout $2,500, or so, and one-year odd mi never get fi go by the hospital because mi couldn’t find the money, and anytime mi get a like $1,000, mi affi try find food,” said Anderson as she sat at her doorway cooking her dinner on a coal stove.

She also noted that she recently went to the hospital and was given documents to do blood and heart tests but is unable to find the funds to do them.

However, unlike Graham, Anderson has not given up on the programme, and according to her daughter, Jodyann Jackson, she recently went to the St Thomas PATH office to re-register her mother and is awaiting approval.

‘Is like me no qualify’

Another woman, who did not wish to be identified by name, said she, too, has been trying for a while to get her son on the programme and has filled out the forms but is yet to get approval.

“Is like me no qualify, like [because of] di work we do,” she said while sharing that she is a sex worker.

“Me child no go school all the time. PATH coulda help stop a gap,” she added.

Farmer and tradesman Wayne Roberts, who said that none of his children or grandchildren have ever benefited, said the personnel at the PATH need to start visiting communities to see for themselves that persons are truly in need.

“Mi a 57 going to 58, and I have 14 pickney and five grandpickney, and none of dem have never been on PATH. The grandpickney dem grandmother ever a try, and none a dem have ever been on PATH. My biggest grandpickney 18 now.

“My pickney dem mada try ‘til she dead and gone, and none of dem never ever get on PATH,” he said.

Roberts questioned why persons across Jamaica who are not among the neediest have got on the programme while those who are truly in need are being “given a fight”.

“The people at PATH, they should come out and see who need to go on the programme. No siddung pon you baxide inna office and hear who fi go pon PATH. Come and look and see who fi go on it,” he said.

Roberts said that while not everyone in the community is in need, many of the residents are desperately in need of the intervention.

At the same time, he said persons who are benefiting must ensure that the children are receiving the assistance.

“Some people are dying to get PATH so that they can buy hair or throw dem partner. Some a dem abuse the help,” he said.

One woman who said she had been placed on the programme and was receiving help for herself and her two children has lauded the benefits and is also urging the authorities to assist more persons from the community in getting on the programme.

“Every other month mi can know say mi collect a $10,000 or $11,000 and mi go buy some food wey mi know can serve we. Me mek sure mi buy my children snacks and find their bus fares ‘cause dem get lunch a school.

“We just want everybody fi get likkle help ‘cause even though some people a say that if you have a likkle TV or fridge you naa get PATH fi buy a like dresser or stove. A simple something dat, but dat no say dem nuh in need a PATH, and it is very helpful,” she said.

Senator Damion Crawford, in a video highlighting the citizens’ plight, which he shared via social media last month, called for the authorities to visit the community and assist the citizens.

“If we have an activity that should relieve this level of poverty, then the school should play a part, social workers should play a part, and the child should never be allowed to suffer the consequence even if the parent did not take on whatever they were to take on,” he said.

He argued that it was situations like this that give rise to absenteeism in schools as the parents are unable to find bus fare and lunch money.

“We want PATH to visit, and we want social workers to be assigned to the area to continue other types of intervention, not just PATH but health and education as some of the children may be behind in their numeracy and literacy,” said the opposition shadow minister for education.

He said there should be a general intervention in rural and impoverished communities across the island so that children can get a “chance”.

“At the end of their school experience, only 18 per cent is receiving the minimum standard, and so we have to ferret out every single reason that is causing this, and if people are allowed to live in communities without adequate intervention, in my opinion, this is one of the reasons,” Crawford said.

Meanwhile, Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of labour and social security, when contacted about the situation, said he had not received an official report about the community but that there was a team of officers in the parish who could visit and make the necessary assessment.

“If there are any families or individuals who fit the criteria and should be receiving support, then it is my responsibility to ensure that they do get on the PATH,” Charles said.

In the meantime, the minister reiterated that the PATH is reviewing its selection process and eligibility.

In his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in May, Charles said, “We aim to crush the myth that the mere fact that persons have certain appliances or modern amenities in their home means that they cannot benefit from being on PATH.

“We cannot have Jamaicans in 2024 still thinking that merely having stove, fridge, microwave or ‘ flush toilet’ will disqualify them from being on PATH.”

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com