Garth Rattray | Active social engagement needed

Recently, my wife and I went to one of Jamaica’s popular cemeteries to see how far our orders of plaques had progressed. It was getting late, and we were happy to see that the gates were still open when we arrived. However, just beyond the entrance and to the left, five young men situated themselves in an obvious effort to interact with anyone visiting the grounds.

As soon as we entered the gateway, one of the fellows signalled us to stop. He was eating from a cardboard food container. I did not want him getting too close to my wife, so I indicated that he walk around to my side of the vehicle. He had not swallowed the food in his mouth when he began his obviously well-rehearsed spiel.

He said that he will find wherever we were looking for and clean up around it so that we can see it clearly. As he spoke, my only concern was that some of the food particles would be propelled into my face. I was not annoyed because I realised that he was trying a thing (hustling). Perhaps we should have been afraid because we were only two unarmed and ageing individuals, in the presence of five young and fit looking men in a secluded spot of an otherwise deserted cemetery… but we were not. I declined his offer, told him that we knew exactly where we were going, and explained that we were only there to take a few pictures.

BUY DINNER

We found the location easily, exited the vehicle and spent a fair amount of time taking pictures. As soon as we walked back to the vehicle, we noticed that the entire group had relocated themselves to opposite where we had parked. He approached again and, although I had just seen him eating, he asked if I could buy him dinner. At that point I asked him what was wrong with him and reiterated that we only came to take a few pictures and did not expect to spend any money on anything.

Undaunted, as we began driving off, he reduced his request to a drink. I came to a stop and, once again, explained that we only came to take a few pictures. I was very tempted to give him some money, just to help out. However, I thought it risky to reach for and open my wallet with the group so nearby. In any case, I also decided not to encourage his hustling because it would facilitate dependency on handouts, and I did not want to embolden him to approach other visitors.

I knew that I made the correct decision by not giving them money. But I felt very sad that I could offer no assistance whatsoever and I wondered how long it would be before some or all of them decided to succumb to the temptation of criminality as a means of survival. I felt helpless, and, although I am only one individual, I also felt as if I was abandoning them to the vicissitudes of a hard life. I wondered if they also thought that I was being unkind.

As we drove away, I mused about the situation that those young men were in. They were reduced to hustling in a cemetery, scrounging, and begging in order to survive. Although their posture and attitudes were not threatening, we were very cognisant of the fact that, if they had a mind to rob and kill us, they could do so easily.

Not all young men are like them, if desperate enough, some will use violence as a means to an end. Obviously, many young people are falling through huge cracks in our society. I wondered how those cracks could be reduced or totally eliminated.

ENGAGED

One of the keys to reducing crime is to have young people engaged, either in educational or occupational activities. Poor education facilitates unemployment. However, despite their educational level, some young people can find employment somewhere. But many have no clue how to go about finding training, startup assistance, or a job. Jamaica’s unemployment rate averaged 11.8 per cent in 1991. It rose to a record high of 16.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 1997, and a record low of 4.20 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023. The unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the total number of unemployed people by the total labour force and multiplying that by 100.

Individuals are categorised as ‘unemployed’ if they are looking for work, are available to begin working, or technically have a job but have not worked recently. The categorisation does not include part-time workers, those who want to work but have stopped seeking employment, and workers that stopped looking for work because of lack of suitable jobs.

In recent times, even supposedly skilled Jamaican workers are getting a reputation for being difficult, lazy, undependable, and dishonest. Several large construction companies are opting to use an imported labour force. These allegations should be objectively and thoroughly investigated to find a remedy. That way, more needy youths will be able to find employment.

Most desperate youngsters do not know that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is available to help with job training and initial assistance. When campaigning, our politicians seek out and woo youngsters. Vulnerable youth should be actively sought out and engaged as part of our overall anti-crime strategy.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com