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'SEND THEM HOME'

By YOLANDE GYLES, Staff Reporter

WE NEED HELP TOO: Patsy, a resident of Fairy Hill, sits with her children Hakeem and Sally. She believes that local residents who need assistance should be getting as much help as the Haitians. - Norman Grindley

SOME PORTLAND RESIDENTS are livid that Haitian refugees there are being treated better than the locals. They say there are Jamaicans who are in dire straights and are not getting that kind of assistance from neither the Government nor the private sector.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Land and Environment told THE WEEKEND STAR that the complaints from residents in Fairy Hill were "unfortunate" adding that the lion's share of the assistance for the Haitian refugees was not coming from the Government.

"Me never know seh is so much tings deh a Jamaica," said Patsy, a long time resident of Fairy Hill who is upset at the disparity in treatment between locals and Haitian refugees. Patsy, the mother of two young children, is not against helping the refugees but believes there must be a limit. "It is good to help, and help for a time, but not so many of them and not so long," she said. "And what happen to we, the residents that need help as well."

Errol Ramdeen agrees. It was his property on which the last batch of 93 Haitians arrived in three boats last week. "Yes, they are humans too, and they need the help, but I think it is too many of them now and they should send them back. Jamaicans here need the same amount of help too," he said.

Since the first group of 10 Haitian arrived at Manchioneal, Portland, on Valentine's Day, they have been getting help from the Government, civic organisations, private sector companies and kind residents.

In all 430 Haitians have arrived since then and are being housed in three locations across the island - Montpelier, St. James; the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Port Antonio; and at the Winnifred Rest Home in Fairy Hill where the majority are accommodated.

In Fairy Hill residents live so close to the refugees it allows them to witness first hand the help the refugees get, and they have not liked what they have been seeing. "We, the residents of Fairy Hill have been dealing with a water problem for years. Most times, we cannot get water. Yet every day two, sometimes three trucks of water go up there to the camp. What about us?" said Mark, a shopkeeper.

Residents also claim that since the arrival of the Haitians there has been a staff shortage at the Fairy Hill clinic. "Every time you go clinic, dem short staff because the nurse dem a deal wid Haitian," said Johnny, an elderly resident, who was equally upset about the free medication given to the Haitians.

"Me woulda like some free medicine too, because me cannot find di money fi pay fi di prescription, but everyting gone to the Haitian dem," he said.

Stoking the fire of discontent even more is that while the Haitians are being housed at Winnifred's Rest Home, members of the Fairy Hill community are being given notice to vacate land owned by the Government. "Di whole of us get three months' notice to come off the landlease land, but where are we to go? We have nowhere to go," said a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"These things are not fair," said Patsy. "George Bush up inna America look after Americans first, we don't do that."

The irate residents also complain that the Haitians are also not being good guests. "Di least likkle ting dem fight," said one resident.

"Is because people cook food fi dem and dem belly full and all dem do is kick football dat dem have time to fight," Patsy countered.

Police personnel stationed at the refugee camp confirmed reports of fights between the Haitians.

The residents also say that at nights, the refugees beat drums until the early morning. "Is di voodoo they working," Johnny suggested.

However, over in Manchioneal the reception has been far more welcoming towards Haitians.

Denroy Palmer, a businessman and a community leader in that town has been the first line of support since the Haitians began arriving. He makes certain that the Haitians get their first meal and a change of clothes before they are taken to the refugee camps. "We here to help the Haitians because they are people in need. We help Jamaicans in need too, that is just the spirit of our community," said Palmer.