Charmaine Brooks
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FINDING $50 to pay rent is a weekly challenge for Charmaine Brooks.
With six children - the oldest 18 and the youngest three - the 35-year-old has precious little money to spare because she has not had a stable job in six months.
When The Tribune encountered her yesterday on Miami Street, feet away from her house, she had only money on her mind and was heading to a friend’s house to collect what was owed to her.
Sometimes she collects a cheque from the Department of Social Services. At other times she cleans her sister’s yard or the law office of one of her friends, all for “a couple dollars.”
On especially bad days, she takes to the street with her youngest child in her arms and requests hand-outs from people she meets.
A single parent, she is one of 25,000 unemployed people in the country. That is 10.7 percent of the labour force, according to the newly released Labour Force Survey from the Department of Statistics. Despite a surging US economy, the numbers here have remained bleak ten years after the Great Recession.
The Department of Statistics is even conducting a study into why women, some with more credentials than men, are more likely to be unemployed than men.
The last time Ms Brooks had anything resembling a steady income was more than six months ago, when she said she had several “side jobs.”
In 2017, she worked for a while in the Englerston constituency office of a major political party during the election season, the kind of seasonal job she has got recently.
She disagrees with people who say the private sector, not the government, is responsible for job growth.
“I think the government should bear responsibility because we put them in power and they promise us they gon’ make sure we work and ain’ nobody look back from they get in,” she said.
In the most recent job survey, conducted in November, the number of discouraged workers fell by 6.7 percent. Ms Brooks would be among this subset if it were not for the fact that she has no choice but to constantly seek a job.
“I was discouraged but I’m continuing to look,” she said. “It makes me feel bad because I want someone to say ‘let me help this girl.’ I’ve been to several companies.”
She said she wants to send her youngest child to a nursery, but cannot afford to do so.
“I have to be on the job for a week to do that,” she said.
Asked how she feeds her family, she said: “It’s hard to buy food, but every day I try.”
Unemployment is not limited to people like Ms Brooks who doesn’t have a university degree.
One 27-year-old woman who requested anonymity to speak to The Tribune was graduated from the University of the Bahamas in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, but has repeatedly found doors closed to her when she goes looking for a job.
“I was lucky enough to have found a job just in the nick of time last year, but this year I have found myself out of a job, temporarily, and this time around it is more of a challenge,” she said yesterday.
“My most recent employer saw my potential and gave me a chance just out of university. We ended things on good terms. However, after having been let go in October of last year after nine months, the challenge now is, how do I explain my termination to future employers during interviews? How do I explain not having reached the one year mark?”
The jobs she has applied for include office assistant, administrative assistant, marketing assistant and copyeditor.
“Before I got my degree I would apply anywhere that’s hiring,” she said. “But after I got it, I figured I would apply wherever that is as close to a field that I studied as possible so I can earn experience.”
She said she has become frustrated with her circumstances, but is hopeful that at least one impending interview she has scheduled with employers will lead to a job.
Comments
SP 5 years, 11 months ago
Bahamians joblessness and suffering is caused by the governments' policy of selling work permits to nonessential expat blue-collar workers for profits!
This poor woman and her family are suffering needlessly. Get rid of the blue collar expats and let Bahamians have those low skilled jobs.
Alternatively, get rid of the FNM government and elect a new party that understands that Bahamians must be first in our country. The PLP already proved they don't give a dam about Bahamians so no point even thinking about them!
Why the hell are Bahamians suffering while Asians and Latinos who do nothing but damage the sustainability of the country live the Bahamian dream?
bogart 5 years, 11 months ago
EXCELLENT....IDEAS...,!!!!.....Jus like da Hundreds of Churches ...Gubbermint...needs to get outta those air condu...offices and be with the peoples dem in da ghetto.....Family planning....what nots....AND STOP THE NONSENSE OF SHOWING UP 2 WEEKS BEFORE ELECTIONS FOR VOTES......,!!!...Start Community programs....teach literacy programs....jump starts self helps projects....mentor kids.....Start Big Brothers....Big Sisters....programs in da ghetto......!!!
joeblow 5 years, 11 months ago
I bet this woman is unemployable because she did not take advantage of the free education she was given while in a government school. Her priorities are obviously not geared toward self improvement after high school because most of her time was spent in the antenatal care clinics since then. Jobs are one thing, being able to competently perform on a job is another!
rawbahamian 5 years, 11 months ago
I is a single mudda wit 3,4 or 6 chirren and I is dumm as a konk an I een no why da gummint doon gimme and my chirren money an food an housing cuz I way too stoopit to know dat dey is not da ones who big up my dumm ass so dey een responsible for me being in a shit hole !!!
OMG 5 years, 11 months ago
I hate to say it but when she was lying on her back and getting pregnant 6 times where in the hell did commonsense not kick in and ask :"hang on will this guy stay with me after he has had his fun". To many of these women and young girls either want a trophy baby or open their legs willingly to every tom dick and harry that says "I love you". Surely after baby 2 something should have nudged her brain cells ?
joeblow 5 years, 11 months ago
... she could lay on her back, but get birth control free. You don't get pregnant by sneezing!! Her situation is a result of her stupidity. People refuse to take responsibility for their actions!
Sickened 5 years, 11 months ago
Some harsh comments but I happen to agree with them. I've had extra money falling out my pockets for years now and I wouldn't dare dream of having more than the two kids I have. Things change on a dime and you had better be financially prepared. Even when my kids graduate and get their income stream I still won't rest completely easy because chances are at some point there will be another downturn and they may need my support. You have to be sensible in life. Enjoy the here and now but for Christ's sake think ahead!
bogart 5 years, 11 months ago
DIS WOMAN SHOULD .....NOT...BE THE ONE TAKING ALL DA BLAME..........WHAT ABOUT THE MAN WHO CONTRIBUTED WITH HE ....PENIS....WHAT ABOUT THE MEN WHO ...SWEETHEARTING MAKING CHILDREN.....AN....DONT TAKE CARE OF HE.. OFFSPRING.....TEACHING THE BOY CHILLREN HOW TO BE MEN...a woman cant do that.....all the taxpayers paying for Police at schools.....HOW ABOUT THE MEN WHO ARE CON ARTISTS....BOASTING HOW MANY CHILDREN THEY FOOLED JUICING ....YALL DAUGHTERS IN HAVING BABIES......WHAT BOUT ALL THE RELIGEOUS PEOPLE JUSY SEEM ......BUSY COLLECTING THE DONATION FEES IN BAPTISTIZING all then young babies......like its an epedemjc.....an cat gats dey tongue saying nothing about all these unmarried teenage girls without the Holy Sacrement of Marriage ..baptisdising dem right inder their nose...with their own hand.......BUT... busy blaming society's woes on the broken family......when is the last time anybody see men lining up at Court to collect CHILD SUPPORT....eventually and inevitably...invariably..the nation critics...innocent bystanders...pays many... times over for this...many many many times over.....but one lil SCARLRT FEVER...ZIKA...CONCH POISONING... outbreak....an like the whole nation all kerpunkle right up...news flashes...public meetings...scientific analyses...
rawbahamian 5 years, 11 months ago
I have never seen a pregnant man therefore with this in mind the women/girls need to think about that before they get 'big up' !!!
joeblow 5 years, 11 months ago
... with all due respect, she never said she was raped 6 times!!
K4C 5 years, 11 months ago
The 27-year-old woman who graduated from the University of the Bahamas in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English should have know her efforts to be an education are admirable but not a degree that would get her steady employment
DDK 5 years, 11 months ago
"With six children - the oldest 18 and the youngest three - he 35-year-old has precious little money to spare because she has not had a staple job in six months." Sounds and looks like the SIX children have taken their toll on this witless woman. Sadly, this story is too familiar and repeats itself with every generation.............
geostorm 5 years, 11 months ago
Seems like you all are on the same page with your comments, so tell me why yinna got mad when Former MP Richard Lightbourne told yinna to stop having a bunch of chirren you can't take care of?
Based on what you all are saying, then seems like he was correct in his statement.
hrysippus 5 years, 11 months ago
No employer would willingly employ a 35 year old mother with 6 children. Typically Bahamothers need 1 day off every 2 months to attend baby-daddy court per child, plus 2 days off per month per child to take a sick child to the clinic or look after him or her at home, so let's see, 20 working days per month, less vacation and bank holidays -3, = 17 days, less the days for children, 6 x 3 = -18days. Grand total result, the employer can expect 3 days actual work each month. And don't dare cut that mother's pay or you going to spend plenty time at the labour board. The Labour Ward leads inevitably too the Labour Board.
DWW 5 years, 11 months ago
Sound alike you are very familiar with the situation
bahamas12345 5 years, 11 months ago
First off 6 children, come on
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