BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THEY seem to be everywhere, especially downtown Basseterre …persons on the street walking around eating out of garbage bins or begging for money to buy food.
These ‘Street People’ at times can be aggressive and intimidating while other times they politely walk away if they are turned down by the person they seek money from.
SKNVibes took to the streets to find out from persons what they think about them and what they think should be done to help them.
Aniequa Williams said she feels empathy for them and thinks the Government should do something to help them.
“I think the Government should invest in a facility that could help them and give them stuff to eat and keep them active so they don’t have to be on the road.
“If they have a place for them to live and keep them occupied, they wouldn’t be on the road bothering others, or if they’re on the road they might smell better, because sometimes you can smell them from a distance,” she said.
Amoy Coram said seeing them eat out of garbage bins is disturbing.
“I felt as if it was me, I felt bad knowing that they are actually doing this and they don’t even know how long the food has been in there. Everyone needs help and not everyone can help themselves. I always thought that the Government should get something in place for them… they might go there, they might not stay there, but at least they’ll know a place is there. Some of them are in that situation because of stress, some of them because of drugs. It can happen to anyone,” she said.
A gentleman known as Dr. Love said that they need to be kept off the streets because tourists are here. He said they need a place to live and sleep and get them off the road and felt the Government was responsible for them.
Gregory Seaton a Taxi driver agrees.
He said that Tourism is our main industry and we have to protect it.
“Shoeshine, Jeff, and another guy… sometimes they kick after tourists and this is very embarrassing for visitors.
When the cruise ships are here they need to be taken off the streets or something. Something has to be done.
Seaton said they were also aware … every time he sees the Tourists he tells them that he is trying to look after younger folks or work with the prison.
“Trying to take their money from them,” he said. “I’ve heard Tourists complain many, many, times and it is very embarrassing as a Taxi driver to try and mend up for them. So I am saying take them off the street find a home for them, something.”
Lincoln Huggins agreed that there should be a home for them but thought that the Private Sector should be responsible for it.
“I personally feel that one should create a home and have a shelter for these persons, for example, there is someone on the Bay Road with a luncheon I think for persons homeless. If the commercial or private sector could have something like that and have people sponsor it and build a home that would be great.
“We know how it is with Government, in terms of finances but I think having a home would do very well for the community because people on the streets begging all the time, is not a good reflection and sometimes it becomes a nuisance,” he said.
Christian Rameshwar of Tangerine Taxi Tours said that there are already institutions for the Street People.
“You have the Cardin Home which is sponsored by Government. If they have a mental condition we have a place for that too in the hospital. Some of them actually need help, one guy in particular I try to help out. He’s a well educated guy and I asked him why he always in this condition and he said he had nowhere to live. So maybe if he had a place to live he could have turned around and be something good in society,” he said.
He said there were some that came off as violent as they walked around town with weapons in their hand.
“The amount of mad man walking around, guys with all kinds of knives, it’s unbelievable, guys walking around with sticks… it’s scary how they are allowed to walk around the place like that, until one day something serious happens.
“Like one of these guys loses it one day, and they hit a Tourist, it can be catastrophic for the industry. The facilities are there, but I’m not sure if there is legislation in place so that we can take them off the road and have them treated,” Rameshwar said.
