Today
I spoke to a good friend of mine about a situation that I'm sure has passed
through the minds of every young graduate/college student in my small country
of St.Vincent and the Grenadines (and I will be talking about SVG for now, my
non-Vincentian readers because in order to accomplish much, one must first
accomplish little, but feel free to chime in with your perspective!). The
situation to which I'm referring is the overwhelming urge to flee the country.
We are not the war torn Congo and the typhoon ravaged Philippines, but the
young developed minds of the country have no desire to stay and nation-build.
One might ask why, only to have a chirpy reply of "What does this country
have to offer me? No jobs, nowhere to go, political spitefulness, just 150
square miles of boring backwardness." And yet...there is a small trickle
of determined young folk abroad who are excited and willing to come back and
make a difference. So where does the great divide begin and why? I think the
divide starts once we finish college.
I
believe that for a good number of us (and I say us because I've been struggling
with this myself) once we have a taste of spending any amount of time in a
developed country, we begin to dream of Peter Pan lifestyles where we'd never
grow up and we would escape the reality of our situations back home. Because
think about it, back home we pay high prices for clothes from
"foreign" that were so last year's fashion, our movies come out two
to three months after the premiere if at all (by the time they arrive, we've
already seen the DVD version online - supposedly) things that we consider
readily accessible abroad are scarce or inhumanely priced at home.
I
know for myself, paying $10 for a proper fitting dress in "foreign"
and coming home to see the same dress for $175 EC left me with a dry taste in
my mouth. Don't even talk about the food. And that's just two of many things
that bothered me whenever I came back from travel. Returning filled me with a
feeling of impending doom and sadness that I was uncomfortable with for a long
time. I was unhappy at the prospect of coming back home, and I was ashamed that
I felt that way. But I was friends with a few people who lived abroad and
wanted to come back and I couldn't understand. Why would you give up cheap
food, over 200 types of ice-cream, cheap clothes, and the opportunity to do one
different thing every single day, to come back to an island that you could
navigate in three hours? Did they know how hard it was to find a good shoe on
an island?
And their answer was so simple. They didn't want to be a cog in a machine. I thought that was such a mindblowing statement. Think about it readers: unless you've got a ton of money, you're going to be one of millions working for the famed 1% who run the foreign countries. Basically, cogs in a machine. However, in the Caribbean, there is a 100% higher chance of being your own boss, as an entrepreneur, or the head of a ministry, anything really. And some just genuinely want to see their country prosper and do well. And that made me feel even more ashamed. I'll tell you a story.
I
had the opportunity of going on student exchange that allowed me to visit
Canada for the first time. For four months, the longest I'd been away in a
truly "foreign" country (cuz Barbados don't count) I was in this
place of crisp air, cheaper clothes and movies that I could see on the premiere
day. I envisioned myself living there wearing thigh high boots and coats from
Sex in the City. And then on the first week of school everyone asked where I
was from and NO-ONE knew that the
country I came from existed. Ok, maybe two people. But that was it. A young
Asian guy asked me how I was able to come to Canada, and how I managed to
escape the Pirates. I know I read about people being asked questions about huts
and transportation but I never believed it until I experienced it. I got offended.
Then I got mad. Then I got determined. I wanted to come home. Not because
Canada wasn't a great place, it's an awesome place, but I think that everyone
should know WHERE my country was and that it is home to 110,000 people.
Barbados has Rihanna to put them on the map. What did we have apart from random
shots from Pirates of the Caribbean? I mean, people thought we had real life
pirates in our waters for griefs sake. I don't want people thinking I have to
fight off pirates to travel (really, random Asian guy?!).
So
if I came home and even did one thing, one small thing that allowed my country
to be more than a blip on a map for all of twenty minutes, I'd do it. But I want
to throw the question out to you guys. Why are you so determined to abandon the
proverbial ship? If you can leave shores to be entrepreneurs, can't you do the
same at home? A lot of people leave here looking for greener pastures only to
end up doing things they never would have dreamed they would do for money. And
for those who want to come back, why do you? Does anyone want to...come home?
Swingin
in my mango tree,
K.C
(P.S, I mean swinging swinging, not...swinging)
You're telling my story. I wondered if that Liberal MP who tried bad mouthing svg over the gay refugees even knew where to find us on a map. It's annoying and saddening that people don't know where we come from, except for something pointless like Pirates. Much needs to be done to change that. At least, now Rihanna has Barbados on the map, it's easier to just say go directly west from there.
ReplyDeleteI love going back home. It took going to another country to realize how great vincy actually is...yes it has its issues but at the end of the day you still feel like you can breathe and not on a constant move to keep it head above water
ReplyDeleteKC, I am literally hurrying to get some chores done so my response may not be well articulated…but a few quick thoughts…
ReplyDelete1) I love my country
2) Rhianna did not put Barbados on the map until she left Barbados.
3) I have had similar experiences, as recent as this week, where the ppl I met did not know about SVG. By the time I was finished telling them about our tropical paradise several them asked for recommendations of places to visit once they got to SVG.
4) Just like any country, not everyone grows up in SVG with the same financial resources being afforded to them. I grew up dirt poor. Many of the privileges that my friends had, even through Community College, were not afforded to me. I wore a plethora of second hand clothing and certainly would not have been able to afford even a laptop – this is no exaggeration. I came to the US - obtained 2 degrees which I paid for on my own ($US70k+) by working 5 jobs because my family could not even afford to take out a small loan in SVG. All of the privileges & opportunities afforded to my wealthy friends in SVG were not afforded here in NY because the “playing field” was a bit more level – I just had to work a bit harder.
5) Having nothing and having to work so hard in a foreign country has taught me appreciate everything I have.
6) One of my best friends who grew up very poor in SVG, and who lives here in the US, recently finished building a house for her family in SVG. Something she could not have been able to afford more comfortably had she remained in SVG. Not only did her family benefit but the workmen who built their houses and their families.
7) I am now in a position to help my family in a way that I would not have been able to, had I remained in SVG. I can now help my brother and sister to go to college.
8) I am not implying everyone should leave SVG. I am only highlighting that everyone’s road map can’t be the same and being patriotic doesn’t mean one has to live in their home country.
9) I like your post but what you should really touch on are the people who don’t “give back”. I and my friends in different ways have contributed $$ to various efforts in SVG, whether the airport or donating to families, etc. Things we would not have been able to do more affordably had we lived in SVG……ohhhhh…..and that laptop…I just sent a new laptop to one of my old mentors little daughter in SVG….something I know they genuinely could use but cannot afford.
Have to run…*one love*
Let me begin by saying everyone is entitled to an opinion,similarly everyone is free to decide their own destiny. The fact of the matter is that St.Vincent is limited in many aspects. There are not many career prospects available as not everyone wants to be a teacher, lawyer, doctor, nurse or a police officer.i don't think a young person should be chastised for aspiring for something greater than society intended for them. I understand why young people go abroad to study and never return. An education is an investment in one's self and it can be quite costly And people needs to see a return on that investment. makes no sense returning when theres no work, or you have to settle for something you don't want to do just to pay your bills. I keep noticing this sentiment among many vincentians, many say their reason for not living abroad is because you have to work hard tthere. Since when is working hard a crime? I think more vincentians need to think outside the box.. if it takes them out of the country then so be it.
ReplyDeleteHey, I think there is room for both people to stay in the island and for people to leave. Whatever you choose is up to you, though if you leave I think you should always remember home (send a western union small change or a barrel every now and then let's get those remittances). For me, I will always return no matter where I go. Here's why: my (as yet non-existant) children. I want to ensure SVG is a place where they can grow up and find a nice safe job that pays well and have a happy life or, a place where, if they migrate and meet a random Asian dude who does not know about the islands they can pull up a website and show off the place instead of saying "West of Barbados". So there's my answer I'll stay and hopefully I can make the island just a little bit better for Andre Jr. and/or Andrea
ReplyDeletePart of what I would like to see pertaining to these discussions is the ability to entertain differing perspectives or opposing viewpoints without getting defensive or essentializing. I strongly believe that the nation (and the region) require invigoration that can only be provided by the young. I also believe there are a variety of ways to contribute and make that happen. I don't think the post was intended as an attack on people who opt not to return, and I think Demarley (hiii Dixie!) makes some really good points about continuing to give back in other ways even if you don't physically return. It's fine for people to make a variety of decisions based on their personal circumstances or career choices (because some things are not easily accommodated in SVG). The present issue is choices young people appear to be making in this regard are heavily skewed in one direction with little contribution back to the country afterward.
ReplyDeleteNot to put too fine a point on it, but where does that leave us if the majority of talented, educated young people and do not return? Doesn't that mean that those who have the least experiences or expertise are the ones left to govern and make decisions regarding national building? Doesn't that mean that those who *do* stay find they have very little support because they cannot even find strength in numbers?
While I sympathize with the frustrations of people who feel as though their attempts to thrive or expand in SVG are limited, the situation begs the question of who should be the ones to change it. My personal feeling is we are the ones we have been waiting for.
What would make me stay? Nothing if I want to leave I will leave, that should be a personal decision and you should not feel ashamed for it. People will come and people will go and they will leave for varying reasons, things we will never understand. Yet when people leave they must try not to forget, SVG made you the great person that you are, that drive that you have, that work ethic that sets you apart from others. Remember those things and try to give back to that country just a fraction of what it gave to you with your expertise.
ReplyDeleteLet the professionals with experience doing great things in the diaspora come and give back some time, at least once every two years for a week or two. Hold professional workshops on healthcare, marketing strategies, new and innovative construction techniques, etc. Free health screenings in specified facets of medicine.
The other day on facebook someone was requesting the services of a neurologist. We may not have one but maybe once a year the Vincentian neurologist comes to Vincy and give consultations and is added to a contact database, so Vincentians can seek their PAID services abroad. The stronger our network of connections are the stronger we are as a people. Just an idea, I am sure that accountants and economist can poke holes in this but its a step towards making things work on both sides of the spectrum.
So go travel the world live where you want to, but come back and find a way in which you can give back however small it may be. A little time and knowledge can go a long way.
My problem with this brain drain thing is that people are telling other people "don't come back vincy", "nothing dey here for you" we may need to rephrase our wording even if things are dire. Vincy is a vincentians home never discourage them from coming back, you should always be able to come home.