BVI News

Donald deCastro

On May 16, 2012 on my radio show Straight Talk the topic was “Children in the Virgin Islands”. This was a one and a half hour special and my guests were Atty. Marie-Lou Creque, Dr. Ronald MaCananey and Father Ronald Branch and in the course of the discussion all four of us mentioned about how difficult and sometimes impossible to get information from the various government department, agencies and ministries.

Of all the points of this issue discussed the only point that one online news service reported was; “GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LAGGING BEHIND ON INFO & COLLECTION”.  I do not believe that anyone who read that article had any idea as to what the writer was talking about. I am under the impression and strongly believe that the writer of that article did not listen to my show, did not care about the topic discussed or is guilty of some of the allegations discussed on the show. I eventually spoke to someone at the news service by phone and sent them information that would have clarified the story but they never did publish the information.

For that show I was also unable to get a representative from the Social Development Department. Starting in February I spoke on many occasions with the deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry’s Office and after being unsuccessful with her, I wrote to the minister for his assistance but never got a response from him. After a few months I decided I would discuss this issue without the participation of a Government representative.

However, I spoke to  Minister Skelton since the show and he again told me, what he told me in December of last year, and that he has no problem with persons under his portfolio going on talk shows. However, this time he added that he cannot make anyone go on any show. I interpret this to mean that, Government is not concerned in assisting others in presenting the truth to the general public.

Here are the statistics on which the show was based. Between 2006 and 2010 there were 1486 children born in the Virgin Islands; 852 to single women; 514 married women; 93 not stated; 13 divorced women; 13 separated women; 1 to a widow. Of the 1486 children 469 were born of Virgin Island women and the other were expat women or unstated, Births by country were as follows; Anguilla 1; Antigua 13; Barbados 8; Dominica 73; Dominican Republic 131; Guyana 142; Grenada 25; Haiti 8; Jamaica 106; Montserrat 2;  St. Kitts/Nevis 44; St. Lucia 20; St. Vincent & the Grenadines 134; Trinidad and Tobago 45; USVI 13; other Caribbean Islands 6; UK 33; USA 77; other European Countries 2; South Africa 1; South America 9; Tortola 467; Virgin Gorda 2; Middle East 1;Other countries 13. These are only figures for five years. I am yet to understand what the agency responsible for gathering these statistics mean by, “unstated” “other Caribbean Islands” and “other European Countries”.

We discussed this issue on how it can, will and is affecting the community- socially, morally, financially, religiously and other wise, including the effects on our school system. During the discussions we mentioned how it is so difficult and most times impossible to get information from government department and agencies.

For example I was unable to find out how many of these children were born to mothers under 20. I tried to get information from the Court Manager on fathers that are not paying child support, etc. and was unable to so. The above figures does not include Virgin Island women or other expat women that have U. S Visas that went to the U. S or one of its Territories to have their children born there and bring them back; or women here on work permits that were given permission by immigration to bring their children here; legitimate or illegitimate; and women that married belongers and brought in their children. Therefore, I now ask you to use your imagination as to the debt of that discussion with a Psychologist, an Attorney at Law and a Minister of Religion. Therefore, ask yourselves; why the writer missed the basic issue of the night?

During this discussion, we also touched on child abuse and one of the concerns in this area was women including teenagers, who were unemployed, got pregnant and the father of the child disappeared. I consider this a form of child abuse. To compound this dilemma, they are unable to take care of the child she allowed herself to get involved with someone who promises to help her with the first child. Then she had unprotected sex and became pregnant a second time and now she has to take care of two illegitimate children. This situation is bad enough when our own women find themselves in this situation but what is more disturbing is when this type of situation happens with expat women, then we have two children without nationality.  I would like to tell young women and men that are interested in their lives and their future that “18 minutes of sex and 18 years of child support are not the same”.

I don’t want anyone to believe for a moment that I am putting all the responsibility on the women. However, they are the ones who decide with whom they will have sex.

We need a much stronger education process to help both men and women to understand the importance of not participating in unprotected sex. There is a strong campaign on not having unprotected sex to prevent HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Disease so why not a similar process for birth control?

At the end of the day with all these illegitimate children being born or brought into the country and those fathers that are not meeting their financial and other obligations, who will pay the cost to educate, clothe, house and feed them? If this trend is not controlled or reversed this country of ours can easily wind up being a welfare state. Not the type of welfare state, where a country is trying to increase its population but one where it has to take care of children and eventually adults.

I tried to get some additional information from the Ag. Chief Education Officer for this article but was unable to do so, pleased read attached letter sent to the Ag. Chief Education officer. Neither an email nor a telephone response as requested from her. I keep hearing the Minister of Education speaking about professionalism in the Education Department and yes I am a big supporter of his expressed goals. However, I think this is disrespect to the public, when you cannot get a simply reply from persons that are supposed to be professionals.

I personally hand delivered the letter. Again, I want to repeat that I believe in what the Minister is trying to do for this Country education wise, however, based on reliable sources do not be surprised if he is removed from his present position. Among the reasons given are he uses the correct name of the country too much, what he is trying to do will benefit our children and the future, in addition he speaks the truth as he sees it and this is not good for the “club”.

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