The Mechanical Belt

Dominica is a lovely place to be. Relaxing.. and easy going. Sadly, many of the things that we perceive to be beneficial are read in completely different ways by other people who come here. To a Dominican, we may be "relaxed", while a foreigner might perceive us as being "lazy". Things Dominicans might view as being "easy going", a person coming to live here on a short term views to be in efficiency.

I find myself in a very strange place on the topic- completely understanding how a foreigner might feel here; while on the other hand, I have also learnt to adapt, survive and love our way of life.

This week, my Boss and I had to make some serious decisions about what we were going to do about one of my little students. So belittled and demeaned was he, that he wouldn't even allow himself to succeed for fear of failure. He and I got to talking. The compassion in his eyes as we spoke of how circumstances had so conspired against this youth, really moved something on the inside of me. Had I been alone at the time I might have been reduced to tears.

Was there a way we could effect such a change in his mind that he could actually see that he has potential beyond this 8 by 10 foot wooden shack that he calls home? That school is not punishment. That he can be more than all that surrounds him daily. To show him that YES HE CAN!

How streaming in our education system has hurt the lives and minds of many a young person. Is there anything we can do? He looked at me, eyes full of sullen defeat, as he confided in me that for the first time in his life, he could not find a way to beat this.

How do we help our policy makers to treat the children as the precious resources that they are. That they need to stop moving our children along the mechanical belt of our school system, where the slower minds are simply sidelined.

How do we help our people to stop being so divided politically, religiously and even racially. We have a nation to build. If not us, then who?

I suspect that for the most part, people come here, with all the best intentions seeing the limitless potential of all our resources - human and natural alike. They leave eventually, feeling like they have just been beating against a proverbial wall. As we, so stuck in our ways, continue to beat our children, destroy our rivers, neglect the less able, and fight amongst ourselves over matters that are less than trivial.

I too see no clear end to this. I pray that some day, we will rise above our own mental handicaps. Maybe it's the dreamer in me.. someday, I believe we can!