SUCKER GARDEN--A group of Sucker Garden youth organised what they called an "Empty Promises Protest" in Sucker Garden around 11:00am Tuesday to raise awareness of the current lack of jobs for local youth of the area.
The protest was spearheaded by Upper Prince's Quarter Community Council Vice President Eugene Heyliger who referred to Sucker Garden as "the forgotten district."
Angry at the government-contracted company chosen to clean the brush in his area for its failure to employ a single youth from his district for labour that requires no technical training, Heyliger rounded up a group of around 20 youths to seal off the work site on Sucker Garden Road. They did so with work tools in hand, demonstrating their willingness to work.
Accompanied by two trucks a number of the youths had purchased, the 20 or so young men held their machetes high and lined up next to Creole-speaking workers who had been recruited from outside of their district to "do work that we can do so that we don't have to resort to hustling (sale of narcotics) and 'thieving,'" exclaimed one of the older members of the group.
He continued, "We want to work, we have the means and the will to work, but they (contractors) keep hiring people who aren't from here. I hope that we don't have to take it upon ourselves to get rid of foreigners who aren't from Sucker Garden who are working in Sucker Garden."
Heyliger said, "When they (government parties) were campaigning they promised us that work will be made available for the youth to keep them away from crime; in other words, ... work that they can do will be allotted to them. Not one job has been given to any of these guys and all of the work that seems to be taking place in other districts does not happen here."
He said there was not one politician who was "for the people" living in Sucker Garden and the death of Silvia Lynch, who was run over and killed by a dump truck in that area, was partly government's fault for not placing proper sidewalks in the area.
"This place hasn't changed for the better, it has changed for the worse," he said. "I from here, so I'm going to speak up. Everyone likes to talk amongst themselves while their neighbourhood falls apart right in front of them. We are taking a stand. You pump all that money into all the other places. What about us? Sucker Garden is the forgotten district."
Heyliger backed his neighbourhood's youth and pointed out that the youths he was supporting had trucks and manpower. He said, "Government shouldn't have to pay this company all that money for a cleanup job that could employ 5-6 kids who have their own trucks that could do it. Kids who are from here ... Sucker Garden."
Meanwhile, The Daily Herald understands that the owner of the company contracted to remove the brush is a Sucker Garden resident and the brother of a National Alliance Member of Parliament.
Heyliger said, "The government fooled us, gave us empty promises, and this isn't the last of us. I'm going to fight for my district and the youngsters. Even if it's for one month, cleaning out brush is something they can do, and with that paycheque they can get some clothes for a job interview."
The youth present at the protest said they felt betrayed and forgotten. "They don't care about us. They couldn't even fix our basketball court. We had to go out there and do it ourselves, and now 'my jumper is off,'" the youngest of the group said of his basketball game as his friends rooted him on.
One who was a little older said, "The last time we got some work was when we were putting up [election campaign, ed.] signs around Sucker Garden for the same politicians who lied to us and said they care for our community. How am I supposed to get by without having to hit the streets and make my own work [participate in illegal activities, ed.] if you won't hire me for labour happening right down my block?"
Current Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams went to listen to the concerns of young men in Sucker Garden who were in need of work, on August 27, 2010, during her election campaign. Exactly one year later, the same complaints of government's failure to clean up "forgotten" Sucker Garden, remove the gravel and dirt left by heavy equipment and provide work for the district's youth resonate through the area.
"I remember all that blah, blah, blah they gave us a year back, and it's still the same around here. But this time, they are laughing in our face. They get this company to start cleaning up around here, and I'm sittin' on the corner watching these three workers who aren't even from here take down bush. You don't need to be a mason to cut down bush, but it's 'the fat cat mason' keeping us down," the older youth continued.
Before he and the protesters dispersed, Heyliger said, "I love my community. I grew up here. We are of the feeling that the strainer shaken over Sucker Garden has very small holes. A lot of funds have been distributed to all the other districts except for ours and crime will only increase if these kids don't get at least a shot at some hard work.
"All of the political parties promised change, that they would help our youth, and none of their promises have materialised. My question is: Why can't they [Sucker Garden youth, ed.] clean their own district?"
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