For this the painful reality, as we struggle to place food on our table, those installed to provide, are tuxedo dressed toasting at their extravagant Diamond Gala. In fact, even as single mothers grapple with overwhelming bills, those installed to care, are busy scheming American sanctioned political persecutions. Which means, with cost-of-living higher than a street junkie, our impoverished children, classed the most malnourished in Latin America and the Caribbean, have to face yet another day hungered.
And with our hungered children long forgotten in the poverty-stricken 50%, those installed to solve, stand shockingly cold-hearted. In fact, with Dubai of the Caribbean an undeniable misnomer, even as the biggest budget a pointless boast, mean we the dirt-poor are forced to take the knee, imploring the slothful oil monies to reach us.
But even as we implore the slothful monies, the contrast is inescapable, Priya Manickchand with a rapper’s swagger, flossing a diamond encrusted $500,000 Louis Vuitton handbag, easily eclipsing our teachers’ slave wage. However, this contrast far exceeds Louis Vuittons and Range Rovers, with the gated Pradoville, of unmatched Hollywood swimming pool mansions, communicating their unmistakable message of affluence.
Which means, facing such unimaginable inequalities, exacerbated with the billions being corruptly siphoned off, obligated us the pauperised already enduring an unforgiving cost-of-living crisis, to make the most on a daily US$5.50. But such pittance, informed by New Guyana Marketing Corporation food prices, would be a most impossible household undertaking, even in the thriftiest of hands. For these extortionate prices, having brought into sharp focus the unliveable food inflation, also underscores the corrupt incompetence of this installed government.
In fact, such are the increases, that everyday vegetables registering a more than 100% price inflation, are now positioned beyond the reach of the impoverished masses. Then, further compounding the burdensome vegetable prices, are local fruits, which in displaying similar astronomical increases, have limit WHO five-a-day to PPP oligarchs. Moreover, with meats also demonstrating an exponential price trajectory, mean families are sitting at tables of no food, explanatory to our children’s status, as the most malnourished in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Therefore, with our children registered the most malnourished, down to PPP policy driving spiralling food prices, one is compelled to examine likely implications. For the irrefutable science informs, malnutrition having documented detriment predating birth, would continue after recorded born into this PPP inequitable world. In fact, with children birthed to malnourished mothers more likely to have low birth weights, paints a most dire outlook for our babies, even without considering their increased first year mortality.
Moreover, even if survival is beyond the first year of life, beset by PPP predatory food prices, would’ve these children, already burdened by Wasting and Stunting syndromes, presenting at schools in distracted states of hunger. Further, with these children consumed by raging hunger pangs, ensures their academic journey starts from a position behind their affluent peers, which increases exponentially over the years.
However, with physiological needs represented in Maslow’s hierarchy, foreseeably these disadvantaged children perpetually hungered, would on average, do less well academically. Which means, academically shackled by unsatisfied physiological needs, they are more likely to underperform in national examinations, eg NGSA.
And registering tragic under performances, have them less likely to matriculate, even as securing Queen’s, Bishops, St Roses, Saints or St. Joseph, represents an unobtainable reality. Additionally, with food prices disproportionately impacting academic attainment, mean PPP having tied these children’s hands to minimum wage jobs, are also robbing them social mobility.
That said, this PPP propagated social inequalities, complicated by a most remorseless cost-of-living crisis, has as a consequence, doomed our socioeconomic deprived children to lives of unending poverty. In fact, this ruinous PPP policy, noticeably increasing social inequalities with the day, is resoundingly devastating to the impoverished, their communities and society at large.
And such devastations, depressingly noticeable under this installed government, registers poorer health, reduced life expectancy, lower educational attainment, increased crime rates etc. Moreover, inescapable under this uncaring regime, is the erosion of social trust, hindered economic growth, social unrest and political instability. Therefore, with PPP economic tragedy rapidly unraveling, and the repercussions we are enduring, mandates not only a policy recalibration, but more importantly the ousting of this installed government.
