Greetings came in for mothers from different quarters as the country and wider world celebrate another Mother’s Day.
Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar in her message lamented that the country is celebrating Mother’s Day as the country has been rocked by news of child abuse.
“Unfortunately, this Mother’s Day comes at a time when our nation is shocked by the horrific stories of abuse and neglect occurring at a state facility run by the Children's Authority (CA), meant to serve as a safe haven for vulnerable children,” she said in a statement.
She pointed out that a report led by an independent investigation team found multiple failings at the facility including physical, mental and sexual violence being inflicted on children.
"The report also found that former CA director Nichola Harvey-Mitchell contacted a known gang leader to retrieve five boys who fled the facility in March 2021. Two of those boys would later be found murdered. This damning report detailing serious abuse of children was given to Gender and Child Affairs Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy last December, yet Minister Webster-Roy only chose to present the report to the nation last week, a full five months after receiving it. Minister Webster-Roy’s lethargic response to this serious issue is shameful and appalling.”
Persad-Bissessar said this crisis involving the abuse of vulnerable children who trusted adults to look after their welfare cannot be allowed to be swept under the rug in the guise of yet another government-appointed committee.
“Today, on Mother’s Day, I am asking all mothers in our land to join together in one voice and demand that the children who have been abused under the care of this Government get the justice they rightfully deserve.”
Orisha Ifa community: Mother, an energy that nourishes every child that crosses her path
The Orisha Ifa community in their Mother’s Day address said a mother was not necessarily one who bore a child physically.
"Any energy can just be a portal for bringing forth another energy. A mother is an energy that nourishes and nurtures any and every child that crosses her path. She is not a mother for her household but for her community or wherever she's at. She raises children not for herself but to function in a diverse world," said Elder Patricia Mc Leod, Iya Shangowunmi Dassawande.
They also referred to mothers as “portals” which invoke and respond with all the virtues that are embedded in them by their ancestors.
“Mother, a special breed in a special class, that Olodumare ordained must be honoured as the essence of womanhood and the continuity of life as we know it, not nearly to become a portal.”
