Recipient of The Queen’s Young Leader Award, Enterprise resident Teocah Dove, is urging the Government to stop spending money on social programmes and start investing in lives.
Dove, 26, made the call less than one week after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and government officials visited her hometown, where gunmen over the last few weeks have unleashed a reign of terror on residents, wounding some of them.
Dove, who lives in Crown Trace, was one of 60 individuals awarded by the Queen last month. The award recognises exceptional youth (aged 18 to 29) who have shown substantial commitment and verve as leaders in community development.
The young leader received her award for her contribution to a number of NGOs and international organisations working in the areas of youth development, gender, HIV/Aids and human rights.
Observing that for years Enterprise had been an underserved community, Dove said many people had the perception that when a child grew up in a hot spot or high-risk community his or her life would be deprived, untrained and uncultured.
“But that is a myth that has been allowed to continue because of what is perpetuated.”
Dove grew up in an extended family that provided her with everything needed for her to excel.
“There was nothing I did not have access to. I found myself partaking in everything. I went to dancing, karate, swimming and gymnastics outside of the community. So the opportunities were there for me.”
Putting plaster on sores
Saddened that crime and guns had infiltrated Enterprise which was once a peaceful and family-oriented community, Dove said deploying soldiers and police, purchasing armoured vehicles and holding peace marches in hotspot areas were just putting a plaster on sores.
“That would only help temporarily. We need to advance a solution, which would involve a reculturalisation of thinking, empowering, liberating and encouraging young people to know their true sense of self-worth in underserved communities.”
She said a three-pronged approach was needed to tackle crime in communities.
“There must be intervention, in that, you deal with the person (individual involved in guns or crime), their families and the community in which they live. Corrective action must happen at all levels.”
She said criminals must realise that they were being used by drug and gun dealers.
Dove said people were not asking why men had been turning to guns, drugs and delinquency rather than something meaningful and productive.
“That’s because of the inequality in how some people are treated, while some persons have access to certain resources and opportunities. When there is an absence of drugs and guns, then, what are they going to do to make a living when it is gone? That is why I am saying we cannot just look at taking the guns and looking for drugs. We need a reculturalisation of thinking for these young men to understand that they have a value and they are positive citizens in society. We have to look at best practices and how it was done in similar societies to us.”
Dove said crime had always permeated society.
“There is an upsurge now because of what particular issue? I don’t know. We need to question why.”
She said there were cracks in our borders which the Government was now examining.
“Our borders remain opened because of the lack of OPVs (Offshore Patrol Vessels) and other things.”
In the coming months, Dove who is currently developing rehabilitation programmes to help at risk and vulnerable youths will unveil her ideas to NGOs and the Government.
For many years, Dove said, governments had cultivated a dependency syndrome among citizens through Cepep and other social programmes.
Start investing in lives
Dove said in certain communities citizens made strident demands for Cepep jobs.
“Instead of protesting for better job security or permanent employment, they have come to believe that this is all they can aim for.”
She urged governments to stop spending money on social programmes and start investing in lives.
Many of the short-term social programmes instituted, Dove said, had become long-term, while thousands of citizens still relied on food cards to survive.
“We spend a lot of money on social programmes in this country. Where is the social audit to say how the money spent has improved the standard of living and livelihood of persons, and are persons now independent to survive on their own? This was never done. What I am saying is that the same amount of money you are spending and investing in long-term things like ammunition, guns and armoured vehicles, it could be invested in intervention and lives. If you influence one person involved in crime, that person can influence another and then you have a multiplier effect.”
Dove said communities were giving up hope.
Dove plans to use her award to advance the work of the UNDP Caribbean Youth Think Tank.