LETTER: Honey is in this rock! Why can’t I get my share, as a young university graduate, born & bred in Antigua?

Dear Editor,

As a young university graduate, I never thought that day would come, where I would find myself unemployed for over a year in this beautiful country of ours, which is bragged to be an Economic Powerhouse.

Interestingly, I am the first child and only daughter for my mother, who is a single parent with two younger children. Sadly, our father walked out on us and never looked back and from since then, my mother who is a domestic worker, has been struggling to support us, from some low paying unstable jobs.

Due to the economic climate at home, while attending school, I was forced to get a part time job at a gas station in order to assist my mother who has always advocated to her children that we should ensure that we get an education, regardless of the hardship that we are facing.

Those words from my mother resonated with me throughout my young life and hence, I eventually got a Gov’t scholarship and made sure that I committed myself in order to earn a university Biochemistry degree.

The sacrifice, the tears and the praying that my mother has endured for us, has not been an easy journey for her and so, I want to now return gratitude to my mother, by financially assisting her and my siblings to overcome the economic hardship they are facing.

Unfortunaly, I am unable to get a job. I have dispatched several applications but in response I am hearing that I am over qualified, there are no vacancies or my application will be placed on file. The politicians are also trying to justify that the public sector is over saturated.

Presently, I feel disempowered, short changed and rejected in my own country. I am not known to be prejudiced towards my Caribbean brothers and sisters but I must express that I do feel that I am considered as second class in this country of my birth.

From several reports, there are many persons who are engaged in 2 and 3 jobs. Non-nationals are also occupying jobs in every facet of the country’s economic landscape. In addition, the raising of the pension age to sixty five has even added more salt into the wound by keeping the elderly for another 5 more years in the employment sector.

At the moment, I am feeling hopeless embarrassed, depressed & frustrated. Although my preference would be in the medical field, I am ready to settle for anything.. Helping my mother and siblings and giving back to my country is paramount on my agenda.

The thought of going overseas to seek employment and to spend more time away from my family is definitely not a choice of mine, at least, not for now. I think that if there is honey in this rock, as a born bred Antiguan, I should be able to get my share…

Christel A.

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