Black Immigrant Daily News

Though Member of Parliament for Clarendon North Western, Phillip Henriques, has said he will meet with residents of Southwood in Frankfield on Wednesday, those who protested Monday say this does not mean their protests will end, as they need a timeline for the replacement of a bridge that was washed away in 2017.

The residents staged Monday’s protest over the bridge after a child and a woman were reportedly swept away by rising water last week when Jamaica was experiencing the effects of Tropical Storm Ian. They were reportedly rescued by a young man who was nearby, and saw what was happening.

A schoolgirl holds a placard during the protest in Clarendon North Western on Monday.

The protest was staged at the entrance to the community on the Frankfield to May Pen main road and saw about 200 people, many bearing placards, expressing their frustration.

Some residents cut down trees and used other debris to block the road while calling on Henriques to replace the bridge, as promised. The MP did not turn up to the protest but said that he would meet with residents on Wednesday morning.

Since the bridge was washed away, residents say they have been walking or driving through the Rio Minho to get to their community. When the water level is low, residents can cross with the water splashing around their ankles. However, when the water level rises, individuals say they have to strip below the waist to cross the river to get home.

There is no other way to enter the community by motor vehicle, and the other access point takes pedestrians along an old train line, for which surrounding hillsides become prone to land slippage during heavy rains.

Lornett Brown, the grandmother of the child who was swept away before being rescued last week, said her family barely avoided a tragedy.

According to Brown, her seven-year-old granddaughter was crossing the river with several persons, including the woman who picks her up in the days, when she fell and was carried away by the water before being rescued.

Some of the residents who gathered to protest on Monday.

According to councillor-caretaker for the Frankfield Division Karen Carty (People’s National Party), who is also a resident of Southwood, residents had planned a protest some years ago but then MP Richard Azan had lobbied for a bridge. It was reportedly put to tender twice, but no bridge was forthcoming.

Carty, who also recently fell while crossing the river, reportedly suffering “bruised ribs” in the process, said she will be lobbying with the residents to have the bridge replaced.

The police were on the scene on Monday, and after the residents got assurances from Henriques that he would visit the area on Wednesday, the blockage was removed.

Southwood resident Brown also said on Monday that she has a daughter who had been experiencing multiple seizures that afternoon. Brown said all she could do was watch helplessly because no taxi would go into the Southwood community to transport her to the hospital.

“If we had a bridge, taxis would come over here. No taxi wants to come into Southwood, or my daughter would be on her way to Spalding. So I’m just sitting here watching one seizure end and another one starting,” Brown lamented.

Another resident of Southwood, who gave his name only as Clive, said they would wait on the MP’s visit on Wednesday; however, if he does not come with a plan to replace the bridge, they would be taking to the streets again to voice their concerns.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

News

Hazel Brown

HAZEL BROWN was not universally admired. Some viewed the civil-rights activist as a controversial figure, her son Garvin Brown said, because she was steadfast and unwavering in her principles, and she was unapologetic about it.

Brown’s son, the only boy among her four children delivered one of several tributes at her funeral at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain, on Tuesday morning. She was later buried at Lapeyrouse Cemetary.

Brown, who was best known for fighting women’s causes, died at 80 at her home in Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, on September 22.

Garvin Brown said losing a mother was like swimming in the ocean.

“It can be calm,” he said, “or it can be overwhelming. All you can do is learn to swim.”

He said his mother was the most crucial figure in his development, particularly since his father, Herman Brown, died when he was young, leaving his mother widowed. He described her as selfless, doing her activism for the advancement of those marginalised and not for personal glory.

Brown also leaves three daughters, Justice Carla Brown-Antoine, Leah Brown and Natasha Nunez, all of whom excelled academically and in their various careers. She is also survived by her sisters Carol and Gemma Brown, and her eight grandchildren.

Brown was one of 14 founding members of the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women, an organisation invested in promoting respect and value for women as equals and able partners in establishing the values of equity, democracy, social justice and respect for human rights.

She was one of the main drivers of the Network’s Put a Woman project, a non-partisan project funded by the Commonwealth Foundation and UN Democracy Fund, designed to prepare women and young people to participate in local and general elections.

Brown was also a former secretary general of the Commonwealth Women’s Network, which connected women in 52 countries, and held many other portfolios at organisations concerned with consumer affairs and minimum wage.

Brown, along with Asha Kambon, who delivered a tribute, was a trustee at the Network at the time of her death. The Network’s co-ordinator Jacquie Burgess also paid respect to her long-time colleague. Both Kambon and Burgess celebrated Brown’s total commitment to every endeavour she undertook.

She was described as a “go-to person” for comment from the media for her views, and one who would still offer her views via press release even if they were not asked for.

Nunez, delivering the eulogy, said while it is normal for children to bury their parents, she felt a sense of regret because her mother’s work was not quite complete.

Nunez said her mother intended to write a memoir, record a podcast, and had various other plans.

From Nairobi to Delhi to Geneva, Nunez said, her mother was vastly travelled.

“There is no doubt she belonged to the world,” she said.

Nunez said her mother was as rigid at home as she was with her activism and she found it challenging living up to their mother’s high expectations of her children.

Collections were taken at the funeral for the Cancer Society and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

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Saint Lucia is bracing for another wet week after several weather systems dumped rainfall on the Island over the past few days.

An inter-topical convergence zone and an upper-level trough have already impacted the country.

And Director of Meteorological Services Andre Joyeux has disclosed that a surface trough in the region is causing some cloudiness, showers and thunderstorms.

In addition, Joyeux told St Lucia Times that Tuesday night into Wednesday, Saint Lucia will experience the effects of a tropical wave.

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“There’s a low chance of it developing so we would expect the usual tropical wave conditions – some extra cloudiness, showers and thunderstorms,” he explained.

Joyeux noted that since Saint Lucia has been experiencing so much rainfall, residents should remain vigilant.

“The soil is already waterlogged and we expect that some land slippage could occur during the passage of that tropical wave,” the Meteorological Services Director observed.

Headline photo: Andre Joyeux

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Republic of China is still very committed to working with the Government of Barbados on redeveloping the National Stadium.

This was emphasised during a meeting at Ilaro Court last Wednesday, where Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley along with officials from the National Sports Council and other government entities discussed ways to deliver the project in the shortest time frame with Chinese Ambassador Yan Xiusheng, and his delegation.

Prime Minister Mottley, stressing the need for a stadium by the next track season and before the 2024 Olympics in Paris, highlighted the country’s recent success on the world athletic stage.

She proposed that the construction be carried out in phases and suggested that in phase one, the athletic’s track, football field and three stands should be completed by January 2024 with the remaining work on the other stands in phase two, to be completed between April 2024 and January 2025.

“The reality is that we have to do it in phases…and because we value our relationship with China, we are prepared to sit down and make it happen. But I need you all to go and meet. If we provide the design and you provide the demolition, then we can see how quickly the stadium can be built and how we can work collaboratively to meet these deadlines,” Mottley stated.

Further acknowledging that Barbados needed to be able to participate in the Olympics in 2024, she said: “We need to be able to have our trials as we call them and then in April, May, we can resume.”

Ambassador Yan, noting that China would “do everything possible” to facilitate the first phase of the national stadium, said: “I can assure you that by January 2024, the first phase will be completed.”

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