Gunshots ring out frequently, and left behind are the bullet-riddled bodies of men found in drains, at the side of the roads and in their homes. Residents gripped by fear stay indoors and mind their business as they wait for the dust to settle on gang violence that rages in Laventille. That is the kind of life that adults and youths in Rudolph Charles Link Road have been facing over the years.
Known as a rough area loosely referred to as a "war zone", the area is stereotyped as one of the country’s main depressed neighbourhoods where people are not safe.
Some of the youths in the area have been forced to lie about where they live as some employers would not want to hire them when they learn that they are from certain areas in east Port-of-Spain. Others are called criminals and employers refuse to hire them because of their background, while other youths are looked at as being lazy, untrustworthy and unambitious.
These negative stereotypes that have kept them out of formal employment have forced some youths in the area to band together to start their own business.
Last Thursday, the Sunday Guardian visited the area and spoke to some of the youths about their situation and what they have been doing to turn their lives around.
One youth who gave his name only as “Polo” was working on a building which he said will be used as a poultry shop when it is completed.
It is a project involving several youths of the area to earn money and stay away from a life of crime.
Polo said this was an example of young people coming together to take care of themselves.
“I am unemployed right now because the pandemic really hurt us badly. I involved in agriculture and planting and we building a chicken coop. We going to mind chickens, goats and pigs and sell them. Is a business we doing. I used to work on a rubbish truck and I lose my job.”
He said the Government, business and other sectors of society do not care about lower-income areas in east Port-of-Spain.
“The Government might care about Goodwood Park and Westmoorings but up here, they don’t care about nobody up here. Prime Minister Rowley come up here before he get power, after that we never see him. The Government neglect we.”
When asked why he felt young people turn to a life of crime, Polo instantly replied “poverty and having nothing.”
“Some people wake up here in the morning and have nothing to eat. They hungry. What you think people go do? They looking to take from somebody. Their child ain’t eat for the day. But you see we doing planting and I'm sure the situation going to get better. As soon as we finish the chicken coop we bringing 200 chickens. Then we building a pen for the ducks and rabbits. Then we plucking and selling chicken.”
Corry Collins paints a chicken coop at Despers Crescent, Laventille.
KERWIN PIERRE
Corry Collins, another youth who was painting the chicken coop, told the Sunday Guardian that they came up with the idea for a pluck shop during the pandemic.
“During the pandemic, we realised that we can’t stay hungry. We have to get up and do something. I working with the City Corporation and I pick up garbage so it bringing in money and putting food on the table. Not all my brothers have that blessing.”
He said youths in east Port-of-Spain are “crying out” for help.
“There are plenty young people with potential but we stigmatised. When you go into town they see you qualified, but who going to give you a job when they see where you living? They feel is a bad area. What they expect people to do?”
Collins called on the Government to create more programmes to train youths for jobs so that they could stay away from a life of crime.
“Up here is children making children. Youths going astray and we need help with different types of programmes. Plenty people here don’t even have money to pay monthly internet bills for themselves and their family to educate the young ones.”
Terrence James, who is 31 years and spent time in prison, was speaking to some of the other youths involved in the project. He told the Sunday Guardian that poor parenting is responsible for young people turning to crime.
“Plenty of businesses closed in the pandemic. Now things open back up, if I apply for a job and they know I living behind the bridge, they might not hire me. I working with CEPEP as I can’t get any other job out there due to my address.
“So is only Laventille have bad people?” he questioned.
He said the local government officials and government ministries need to be on the ground looking after the needs of communities.
He also said lack of opportunities lead to a life of crime.
“You try all how and you can’t get a job. You try all the hustles and you can’t get anything. Is crime you will turn to.”
Further up the hill away from the budding small business project, there were several youths selling bottled water at the side of the road.
Andrew Arthur, who is a plumber by profession but sells water, said that unemployment forced him to do what he does now.
“We need jobs. Is water I selling on the road. Youths frustrated. The Government ain’t care about nobody and we in the ghetto. Getting ah gun is the easiest thing to get around here. I need to sell five cases of water to make $200. I prefer to do a honest day’s work rather than crime. I want better. In the hood, youths have no future. The amount of people I see dead from gang violence, I don’t think it have more space for more to die.”
The consensus among the youth of the area is that life in the area is a struggle and they need urgent help to make it through. The youths are crying out for help.
No word from MP Hinds
The Sunday Guardian reached out to MP for the area Fitzgerald Hinds for a comment on the situation involving youths in the area, but he did not respond to calls to his phone.