"Is we who build up down here. Down here was swamp and is we who fill up this place bucket by bucket and build we nice houses," said a Sea Lots resident on a recent radio programme.
A look at Sea Lots from the lighthouse in Port-of-Spain shows structurally unsound homes constructed from galvanize and wood. So what nice house could this Sea Lots resident be boasting about?
Obviously the growing prosperity of Sea Lots is hidden away from the view of the average citizen.As a curious photographer, I decided to venture into the community to see first-hand the condition under which people lived in Sea Lots. To my amazement, the area was far from what I had expected.
Navigating the narrow, dry and dusty road in the informal settlement, several colourfully-painted houses complete with sewage and plumbing, and similar to those in middle class communities could be seen. And yes, there are lots of structurally unsound galvanize and wood buildings in the mix, too.
Although it is clear the area is lacking basic physical and social infrastructure and residents have no security of tenure, they are moving full speed ahead with construction of their concrete homes. I have concluded that Sea Lots and its residents lead a much better life than we are made to believe.
