In addressing graduands who witnessed her receiving her honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of the West Indies UWI), St Augustine, last month, Rhonda Maingot urged them, as expected, to "love and show the world how to love," and to strive beyond mediocrity.
However, in urging the Christian virtues, Maingot, who was the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence Public & Civic Contributions Laureate, 2013, also struck a secular note, a warning about the effects of predator capitalism, and encouraging them to act.
She urged the graduands to commit themselves to "improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and fraternal", as the world was becoming immured in individualism and people were required to speak for "the poor and vulnerable and those who have no voice."
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Religious exhortations
All this is properly in the realm of the religious exhortations of her faith, and those practised by the Living Water Community, which she co-founded with Rose Jackman in 1975. However, in the present, where more and more people are noticing and railing against economic and social inequality, they strike equally a non-religious chord.
This is a point Maingot is pleased to elaborate upon and relate directly to society, economics, and politics. The sentiment comes from nearly five decades of experience in caring for the less fortunate. The number of people coming to the Living Water Community for help has not waned in these times of plenty, she says–in fact, the number of people who access the food bank has doubled in the last year alone.
"Generally speaking," she says, "we have seen a huge increase in people coming for help. A lot of people have jobs but they still cannot make it. Especially people like single parents and whatnot. Last year we had more than 600 people (accessing our food bank), which represents a doubling over the previous year. Even the State sends people to us sometimes."
Unbridled capitalism
She is very clear on the cause of this: the way society and economy are arranged, which the present Pope, Francis, and John Paul II have spoken explicitly about. "This is the result of unbridled capitalism," she says. "The way it's set up, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It never trickles down." However, "it's not necessarily the fault of any single rich person. It's the system."
And things seem to be worsening all over. Living Water is now T&T's official refugee processing institution, recognised by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. There are about 150 refugees in the country (from Africa, Asia, and Cuba, among other places) and Living Water helps them by processing their paperwork and providing whatever assistance (housing, medical, and basic needs) it can.
Outside of this new area of activity, the Living Water Community comprises a number of different ministries, from the traditional assistance–like half-way houses, help for the poor, the terminally ill, or the abandoned–to entrepreneurial activities, like a garment factory (Vision of Hope). It has most recently branched into media: its newest venture is the launch of its continuously broadcasting channel, Trinity TV.
Trinity airs local, regional and international content.
"We have alternative television, providing content ranging from inspirational devotional, social, family life, youth, social justice, and we bring foreign programmes," saye says. "From Rome Reports from the Vatican, and material from the region. We have one from Guyana and are getting one from Barbados."
Living Water sees the media as a platform to proselytize, and the message is clear, a call for people to awaken to the realities of present social ills, and the increase in the suffering of the most vulnerable.
"Generally, people in Trinidad are very kind, and think of others, but this needs to be channelled. Many people have no idea as to the extent of suffering in the society."
Institutional communication, however, is even more important.
"A government a few years ago removed the deed-of-covenant instrument which gave a tax break to those who helped the poor," she says. "I remember going to the PM at the time and saying to him, 'You are removing from thousands of people the opportunity to give to the poor.'
"Any government in power has to do things to encourage people to help people. They have done many good things, like education, healthcare, and removing vat on certain food items."
Living Water is also uniquely positioned to see firsthand the fallout of changing social and economic situations.
"The social situation is feeding the gangs," she says. "Homeless young men have different paths now than a few years ago. When young men were dislodged from home and school, we could go to them and offer them shelter and a second chance.
"Now, they join gangs. We are now working on a new ministry to take in children who have been expelled from school, and get them back into the school system."
This is emblematic of the way T&T has evolved over the last few decades.
"The general public is removed from the plight of the poor," says Maingot. "They don't understand how poor people exist. Members of my own family are surprised."
She believes at the root of this malaise is an increasing isolationism which comes with increasing wealth.
"We live in our own little spaces now, and there's very little contact with and even understanding of how poor people live.
"Meanwhile, the standard of living has grown. When we were growing up we were poor, we never had a car, I wore hand-me-downs. I never got a school uniform that didn't come through my sister, who got it from my cousin.
"But that was fine, everyone did it. But now, you have to have new clothes every year–even the poor. This is what is expected in society now."
And in this flood of consumerism, the spiritual life of the society has become impoverished: "God has become irrelevant to many people", she says. "The secularism is huge.
"And even if you believe in God, no one goes to church, which cuts off the formation of networks which enable groups to help."
This all points to a sick society, and Maingot says there is no miracle cure.
"A healing has to happen. I think it will happen, but I don't know how. It has to be by individual choice. We can't go forward with it.
"Our motto at Living Water is: 'God, help me to live simply so others may simply live.' We try to live this in the hope others will follow."