I am going to be writing about the country of Jamaica. It is a small island in the Caribbean located south of Cuba and east of Haiti. It is about the same size as the state of Connecticut. Its population is approximately 2,700,000 and the largest city is Kingston with about 937,700 people living there. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. The legal system is somewhat corrupt. Violence is usually at fault when it comes down to the two political parties going against one another. It’s also very hard to obtain a job within the country of Jamaica.
When I think back to my trip in Jamaica I think of, white sand beaches, palm trees, coconuts, sunshine, beautiful people, waterfalls, and Reggae music. I am learning that, although Jamaica may have a landscape that looks like paradise, inside the people and the land are suffering. Money is a big reason. In 2007 the poverty in Jamaica fell from 14.3 per cent the previous year to 9.9 per cent but "could rise again because of worsening economic conditions", says Dr Ivan Wortham, director general of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. (The Witness 2/10/06)
A number of factors have influenced the poverty level in Jamaica. They include the level of education, low amount of wealth, gender discrimination, ability, power and some would argue poor social and economic policies. The crisis where facing globally is not helping either; the reduced employment, low remittances from families living overseas, both internationally and locally is causing some serious concerns. The high inflation rate and heavy dependence on imports has not helped either. "Presenting his findings at the survey launch, Dr Donton Davis of the University of South California in the United States said that based on PLC data between 1995 and 2005 he found that up to 30 per cent of households change position in relation to the poverty line annually, with approximately 10 per cent moving in and 10 per cent moving out."
I remember going to Jamaica a few years ago. Back then, the country was a bit more settled. The crime rate wasn’t as bad as it is today. Throughout that time you could actually walk through the streets of Kingston without worrying of being robbed. As of today, the same rule doesn’t apply. “It’s reported that over 500 people had been killed within this year alone, most of them being innocent civilians.” (Errol Davidson, Jamaica Observer) The type of crime that mostly go’s on within the country is rape and murder. It was because of this, the police had actually stepped up their forces on tracking down the criminals. Even though that may sound good, the police in most cases are the very ones that are the cause for some of the killings. Unlike the police in the states, the police over there rarely take the criminals in for questioning. Nine times out of ten, the police usually kill the person they believe to have been doing the crime as opposed to bringing them into custody.
As far as jobs are concerned, it’s very hard to obtain a job within the island of Jamaica. You kind of have to fend for yourself. The government, which rarely looks out for its citizens, milks the community for their money. Sadly the people would have to create their own job in order to bring in income. I remember once visiting there, people had actually turned their own means of transportation into a cab. Others took up the opportunity in selling goods such as fruits and vegetables on the side of the road. Some people even opened up shop within the market place in an area called Spanish town in Kingston. In time, the country will get better both financially and mentally, because the way it’s been going on within this pass decade is unnecessary.
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