Dear Editor,
I hear words like poverty and working poor being bandied about. But I wonder if those who use these words have actually experienced being poor or being in poverty?
Have they ever had to catch fish from the river (by line or by hand) then sell some of the fish to a small shop or to neighbours so that they can buy rice and oil? When you did not catch any fish you and your family (including children) went hungry.
When you did catch fish you also gave some of it to the little old lady down the road so that she did not go hungry. Now, imagine this on a daily basis.
Have they ever had to collect firewood or daub their fireplace (and bottom-house) with cow-dung to prevent it from cracking? Have they ever had to drink river water? Or bathe and wash clothes in the river? Some people, mainly in the city and towns, just do not know how really poor people survive.
President David Granger needs to do some serious thinking, and some serious soul-searching. He should not want to sack large numbers of people in a country with high unemployment.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Ori
