Resident advocates for burial societies, says bodies languishing
A resident has claimed that there have been instances where bodies are left languishing at local funeral parlours, simply because residents do not have the funds necessary to bury their dead.
The person phoned into a radio programme recently, which included Chairman of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), Ronnie Skelton, and suggested that steps should be taken to address the pressing issue.
“One of the biggest problems we have in this country at present is the burial of dead people; burial of corpses,” the anonymous resident argued. “If we are to go to Davis Funeral Parlour now, there are many bodies there lying because many families do not have money to bury their dead.”
He added that Skelton is aware that persons have approached government ministers and House of Assembly members for monies to help bury their dead.
But the caller suggested a model should instead be taken from other Caribbean islands where they too have similar challenges. “If we want to empower the people – like in Dominica, like in Saint Vincent, they have what you call ‘burial societies – because they don’t have many insurance companies down there,” the caller stated.
The resident further suggested that persons can be encouraged to take out ‘a small amount of insurance’, and upon their death, those monies can be used for the purpose of burial. He added: “But we [are] not trying to empower the people in that line because everybody going to rap at the door at some government official for some assistance.”
Social Development Minister responsible for people from cradle to grave
Skelton, in the meantime, agreed that the problem was a real issue, and said legislators who serve in the capacity of Minister of Social Development, are responsible for persons from the cradle to the grave.
He added that not too long ago, every person in the BVI saved money towards their own burial, similar to what the caller suggested. However, he indicated that, because of the current cost of living and all the other issues people are dealing with, it seems there are difficulties doing that now.
Skelton further argued that, with the sometimes ‘lavish’ funerals that take place in the territory, the caller was quite right in suggesting there was a need for a system to be put in place.
“I’m sure some insurance companies are out there listening right now and tomorrow they’ll have a policy,” Skelton added.
PVIM Territorial At-Large candidate, Stacy ‘Buddha’ Mather, explained that at least one local company has hinted it is open to offering burial plans for persons who might be interested in participating.
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It’s election time so they gonna give you all the talk you want to hear. After election it’s a different story. They go back in their shell.
Burials are costing more than weddings . It is a grand show . So individuals who do not have the financial networking to bury their loved one often feel ….. if they do not have the fanfare to go with it .
The Social Development Department offers a funeral/burial assistance grant for persons who qualify.
Just buy the cheapest box/casket you can afford. Everybody want to do what they see other people doing and they full well know they cannot afford to do like the Rumknees. I told my kids, please do not go broke trying to impress anybody. When I die, just dig a hole and put me in the ground, if necessary. No booklets, no pin-ons, no food and drinks, no special colors, nothing. The dead cannot appreciate these things. Stop going broke trying to impress other people or depending on Govt and others to foot the bills
So I hope are putting aside money or you have a life insurance policy to bury you when you have transitioned. The cheapest boxes at the funeral home here still cost at least $5000.00. So I guess we need to employ our local carpenters to offer a less affordable casket but in the BVI we want to empress others by going broke trying to bury our loved ones.
The BVI needs a crematorium. It’s ridiculous to be required to embalm your deceased, buy a casket, pay for the hearse to transport them to the airport in order to ship them to St. Croix for cremation. This costs thousands of dollars of unneeded expenses.
That this is coming out all of a sudden after a new funeral home opened. Why is it that nobody was talking about this before???
The BVI has a crematorium. It was recently opened.
Where is the Crematorium?
This is the same Guy who abolish the government insurance that carried a $10,000 life policy that families use to rely on to bury their dead.
There is also a need for increased burial space that no one is addressing until we reach that critical point.
Use your money and build one, see how much you have to spend.
It’s not true to say that a minister is responsible for everybody from the cradle to the grave.., that’s how they want to make you depend on them. It is the system that should be in place to assist persons if need be. Not individual ministers. Government is not a person though some want to turn it into a personality cult.
Furthermore, if people wanted to help themselves they would organize such institutions as labour unions which also lobby for and provide benefits to its members and their families. Everybody just looking at politicians as is they are gods.
Facts…said the same to my kids.
Nobody is going to see as wrapped casket when it go in the ground/tomb.
Stop wasting money on this foolish trend.
You have sense.
The others not so much. It’s a fashion show like people going to the club.
Wasting money on the things you mentioned then want to bawl broke.
What some of these human parasite spend on false fingernails, false hair,false eyelash and fashion is plenty more than a monthly premium for a basic burial insurance policy. Living or dead always a humbug and an everlasting *rig.
Baughers Bay
We come into this world with nothing and the only thing we can take with us is the forgiveness of our sins,. We waste so much money trying to out do the Jones’ by having a lavish funeral we can’t afford. Dust thou art to dust returnest. I told my family to burn my body, scatter my ashes in the wind. I have had the time of my life while I was alive by making a difference in others lives.
All living things will die.