CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 70

Moncrieffe noted that her weekly income plays
a significant role in her inability to adequately
provide for her family.
“If mi did ave ah betta job, mi wudda can gi mi son,
Devani bus fare everyday so ‘im nuh haffi ah walk
to an from school inna di hot sun wen mi nuh ave
it. Mi olda son, Ricardo, coulda guh university guh
study an betta ‘imself insteada fi ah work and buil’
people house,” Moncrieffe shared.
The single parent of two said she does her best
to stretch the dollar by purchasing items that are
low-priced, such as chicken back and neck, retail
oil and syrup, and cheaper brands of tinned foods.
She admitted that sometimes she wants to buy extra
items but cannot because the money is not enough.
Data from Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) study
done in 2014, titled ‘The Current and Emerging

Photo by Varun Baker

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Vulnerability in Jamaica’, provides empirical
evidence that citizens in Jamaica are living in
poverty. The study found that the percentage of
the population living below the poverty line in
Jamaica increased to 17.6 in 2010 from 16.5 in 2009.
In addition, it concluded that poverty is higher in
female-headed households. And the average per
person consumption is lower in female-headed
households than that of male-headed households.
Phang, who is a certified cosmetologist, specialising
in hairdressing, works from home and sometimes
at her mother’s hair salon in her community. The
young hairdresser said she works every day of the
week, that is, as long as work is available.
She added that though there are times when business
is promising, there are also instances when what
she earns is insufficient to take care of her family.