Employment in Ferrier

Well finally have enough bars to pull up gmail. My intention was to use Internet Cafe so I could post some pictures. After walking to internet sight guess what, no electricity. So here I am home again. Unemployment in Ferrier is 80% or higher with few opportunities here in Ferrier. Some people are teachers at the schools (apx 9 primary and 4 secondary); there is also a police station but I rarely see a police presence. I have been told that some people go out of town to work. The majority of people sell things in front of their homes (microindustry). In the mornings some women will have cooked rice for sale; others sell charcoal, fruits, vegetables, candies, clothes, raw sugar cane, pretty much whatever they can get hold of. There are a lot of young men with motorcycles that function as taxies. It is amazing how many people they can get on one motorcycle and I am not talking about a big Harley. A few people have gardens but have not seen a lot. Jackson has a garden at his school that helps feed us and the school children. There are two clinics in town; one government clinic and the clinic I help at. The government clinic is staffed with doctors from Cuba and Bereca Clinic by a doctor from Dominica who will only be here 1 more year. Opportunities are few and education so important but so difficult.

Joy for the day.

Barbara