The Other Side of Mother’s Day: Poverty Made Worse during COVID-19
Over the weekend, thousands of Belizean families celebrated Mother’s Day, showing their appreciation for the women who raised them and the struggles they went through along the way. But among the sixty-two thousand or so residents of Belize City, there are some mothers living in extremely difficult situations, often not that far from the multi-storey buildings and bustling boulevards. News Five went into one area off Antelope Street Extension where Paul Lopez met two such women. Both declined to appear on camera, but willingly shared their stories of how they are coping during hard times, and how things have gotten worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Voice of: Phillipa, Belize City Resident
“We, I have dreams that things wah become better for us back here. We the wait for the street. I mean I nuh really want my kid back here like this for the rest of my life. I mean, I want betterment. We the wait for the street. We the beg fuh the street, we need the street. Thanks for the lee pipe wehdeh the put, deh the give we a lee a government pipe. Thanks very, very much, and the streets really, really needed.”
Paul Lopez, Reporting
It is the first sign of struggle. This makeshift path, filled by used tires and discarded pallets, is known as a London bridge. Mothers like Phillipa and Anselma have made this area their home to avoid the high cost of rent elsewhere.
Voice of: Anselma, Belize City Resident
“It cost a lot. If you want something eena life you have to push towards it. It is something I always want, my own place, because of my two kids. You know, rent kills. Rent kills a lot. With building this house, dah hand to hand help. You know the guys deh from round yah help me. I don’t have to pay them, that dah the good thing. But, everybody push deh hands and help mekih come up so fast.”
There is no electricity and running water. Anselma’s little son walks the London bridge to fetch clean water from a distant neighbor. Neighborhood crime creates danger these mothers must steer their children through.
Voice of: Anselma
“Eena early last year February I mih get in a crossfire gun shot. I got so much different shots. I even lost one of my kidneys. So, I have one kidney. I had like thirty-three stitches down, inside. Piece of my intestines get removed because of the damage the bullet did. I don’t really feel the pain every day, thank God. I get up every day and I work. I still do my hair, my cooking, because I dah wah chef. I nuh feel the pain, and I nuh feel stressed out. So, whenever a job come on I could guh do it.”
Voice of: Phillipa
“It’s very…, because if you notice we deh far away from people. We deh eena one village alone by ourselves. Suh sometimes ih very scared, because the area in a whole is a gang area. So sometimes people will do things out there and try to run in the back here. So we have to be alert for anything off the street there because this is, the whole area is a gang area.”
These make shift homes sit on government owed land. Those who are unemployed are dependent on social programs. But that assistance has been slow in coming when most needed during Covid-19. Phillipa says she hasn’t seen any politician for months.
Voice of: Phillipa
“From ever since the elections, I haven’t seen him. He is not doing anything. He is relaxing it looks like. I do not even see him. I do not know where he is at. I cannot tell you where he is at. Have not heard from him. That is about it with the politicians. I haven’t heard from them any at all.”
Voice of: Anselma
“The COVID-19, fuh be real, none ah the refunds, or whatever the government give weh, nothing I nuh get. However, I live, I live, however I eat, I eat, because none a dende. All the loans deh give out, not even one I get. But what, thanks to god I live every day, I work, I duh weh I got fuh do. So when the pandemic hit, that still like never did touch we, because we still the be we same way.”
Phillipa says her children’s father became ill during the covid-19 pandemic and was taken out of the country to seek medical attention. She is left to fend for her family at home. Anselma is currently unemployed and seeking work.
Paul Lopez
“Is wanting a job apart of your need as well? Do you need a job?”
Voice of: Anselma
“Oh yes, that would ah be very good. Fuh right now yes, ah job would ah be good. I dah wish I get a job eena the city and nuhsuh far. Cause I get jobs, out district, Cayes, cause like a year now I deh dah Belize. I mih the work dah Caye Caulker, by sports bar, chef. I spend like three years out there and I just come een back. So a job would do good.”
Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.
