CRISTIANNA RAMDIAL’S story has been haunting me all week. At just, 19 she has experienced more trauma and heartbreak than many of us could fathom.
Born into a broken home with a young mother and absent father, Cristianna was pulled from school at the primary level when she moved to live with relatives in Chaguanas. She was never placed back into school and was then sent to St Jude’s Home for Girls at 11, she would escape twice during her stay.
When she left the home, she would be handed off to relatives. With no education, no national identification, and little prospects, she would find herself in some less than savoury situations. At 17 she got pregnant after a drunken night. The father of the child would disappear.
Cristianna would find comfort with Carl Murphy, who is probably one of the only people in her life who showed her any form of care.
Despite their financial hardships they built a home in a small room of the abandoned Ortoire Fishing Port, Mayaro. Murphy would take on the role as father to Cristianna’s son Allon and together they formed a family.
Allon was her light and was cruelly taken from her when he fell into the river. Yet, another trauma, perhaps the worst, has been befallen Cristianna.
Judgement was easy for so many to cast, labelling her an irresponsible mother, shaming her for her living conditions and not doing enough to protect her son.
But, let me ask all the holier than thous out there, how do expect someone who is a child themself, with no support, no education, no resources and most likely an incredible amount of emotional trauma supposed to be a fully energized, focused, mentally healthy, model citizen and mother? Please let me know!
The hardest part is that there are hundreds of other women just like Cristianna Ramdial in our nation. Unseen and unheard. Not living, but simply existing. Victims of generational poverty and trauma. They all want better, they all want better for their children, but the reality is they do not know how to provide that better future.
Cristianna was failed by system the second she was removed from school as a child. Wouldn’t this trigger a welfare check? Think of all the children that left school during the pandemic, how many of them have returned? How many of them have been lost?
Our education system has failed by not including mental wellness, empowerment and financial literacy into the curriculum. It has failed by not providing a comprehensive sexual education class. It has failed by turning a blind eye to children who simply disappear from classes.
Our social welfare systems have failed by not ensuring these homes we send children too are safe. It has failed to follow up on cases of runaways and dropouts. It has failed because no has thought of going into our rural communities to address the citizens there and help them with legal registration and accessing grants.
Giving out a gazillion food cards, but leaving those most in need hungry, is not a success.
I have said this before and will continue to say so until I am black, blue and green in the face, we can build all the fancy flyovers we want, construct beautiful modern buildings everywhere, sign big fancy international agreements with every man jack, but unless we work on developing our people, we will never be a developed nation.
We keep ignoring the human element in national development. We cannot boast of our country’s development or successes as long as we have families like Cristiannas.
What we need to do is investigate cases like this, we need our ministries, our regional corporations, our community groups to find these lost brothers and sisters. We need to give them the tools to make their lives better through, education, training, self-empowerment and access to our governmental institutions.
Cristianna wanted better for her son. In an interview with Cristianna’s mother, Lauren Ramdial, she too said she wanted better for her daughter. We all want better, but the reality is many of us do not know where to start and that is where our nation’s leaders need to step in, this is where they are most needed. Create better people, create a better country.
