Hundreds of people lined up for food hampers donated by shop owners at South Park Plaza yesterday, offering a small glimpse into the desperation thousands of citizens in this country have faced since COVID-19 restrictions took effect at the end of April.
The tenants and the management of South Park Plaza said they decided to distribute hampers to families throughout Southern Trinidad because they knew many people lost their jobs due to the pandemic and wanted to provide some relief.
Little did they expect that their generous gesture would yield the overwhelming response that required the intervention of police officers who moved to disperse the crowd, which quickly grew and snaked along the Tarouba Link Road, as it posed a serious COVID-19 risk.
What transpired is a stark realisation of just how much citizens are suffering and have been forced to swallow their pride and depend on others for help just to make ends meet.
It is no secret that thousands of citizens no longer enjoy financial stability and independence because of the pandemic.
Already 30,000 people applied for the salary relief grant from the Ministry of Finance. The Minister and government took a decision to extend grants to June and even make them available to employees in the construction sector, which like many other sectors, have been forced to halt operations.
Manufacturers have also asked the government to include almost half of their 53,000 employees on the grants list.
There are thousands more who are accessing assistance through the Ministry of Social Development, churches, local NGOs and good Samaritans.
Yet still, there appears to be thousands more who are falling through the cracks and others who may have been living in poverty before, only to find themselves worse off now.
On Thursday Opposition Chief Whip and Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee said he knew there were many people surrendering their insurance policies to get money. There have also been reports of people walking around neighbourhoods, pleading for food and assistance.
It paints a grim picture of the life citizens are struggling to cope with daily.
While the government has done tremendous work to buffer the economic blow dealt to some in the population, yesterday’s event brought the reality of what is happening into focus and was a glaring indication that much, much more needs to be done.
Although the government has spoken about the economic situation the country is grappling with, the plight of the people cannot be ignored.
Action must be taken to process grants, from both the Ministries of Finance and Social Development, swiftly so that much-needed money can get into the hands of those who in need.
Private sector companies themselves struggling as a result of the pandemic, may also want to offer some assistance and perhaps partner with the government to bring relief to citizens who no longer have the luxury of enjoying a basic meal.
This pandemic will not last forever, but if the financial predicament consuming citizens is neglected now, this country, the richest in the Caribbean may find itself with the majority of citizens living in poverty.