Message from the Leader of the Opposition on the occasion of Mother’s Day
Today we pause to acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable contributions of mothers in our society, and the boundless love, hope and faith that they have in their hearts.
This year is of course far different from previous years; as the world in which we live has changed substantially, as we face the global Covid-19 pandemic. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, there are families who have lost loved ones, including their mothers, to this dreaded virus and my heart goes out to them.
Today, I also think of the many mothers who have been placed in a very precarious position because of Covid-19 and all its fallout effects. Some may have lost their jobs, lost their earning power, lost their ability to go out work, or have experienced a reduction in income, all of which affect not only them, but their children. Many of our frontline healthcare personnel are also mothers who have had to be separated from their families to care for the sick.
On Mother’s Day, I often reflect on the love of my own mother Rita, who, despite our humble way of life always selflessly went beyond to ensure that my siblings and I were provided for. It was my mother’s love, her desire to provide for her children, and her faith in my abilities which motivated me along the way to enter the realm of Politics. Her compassion inspired me to dedicate my life to working to lift others, and when I became a mother myself, I understood her experience, and the sacrifices she made for her children.
There is no greater fulfilment than that of being a mother. However, it is no easy task, which has now been made more complicated by the global pandemic.
Sadly, throughout our country, thousands of mothers are battling severe hardship, inability to provide for their children, and significant burdens due to poor economic management in recent years, now worsened by the Covid-19 crisis. It breaks my heart knowing that while some may celebrate this special day with a meal and a few loved ones, there are mothers in our nation who are pleading for food items to feed their children.
I urge all citizens, reach out to those vulnerable suffering mothers in our nation to ensure that they have what they need to care for their loved ones. This crisis warrants that we all come together as a society to protect, uplift, assist and inspire those mothers around us who may be in dire circumstances. My party and I will continue our relief efforts as we provide hampers as well as other forms of relief to citizens facing turmoil.
Just recently, I called again on the Government to consider the removal of VAT on additional food items given the ongoing economic fallout coupled with the last four years of economic mismanagement, as usual, the Government responded in the most callous and insensitive manner. They refuse to acknowledge that there is a food crisis and they are totally removed from the reality of what the people are facing every day.
More help is urgently needed for the vulnerable, and I call on the Government to expand the food card program, and fast-track the delivery of the salary relief grants, as hundreds of single mothers are depending on this to provide for their families.
Although we are coming to terms with a new way of life under Covid-19, the virus has had one positive effect – it has reminded all of us that there is nothing more important than family. So, this Mother’s Day, while you maintain physical distancing, and even though some of us may not be able to hug our mothers and our relatives, we can still show our love in different ways.
To those mothers who may be struggling, I understand your plight, I feel your pain, I empathize with you. Take heart, and keep the faith. Together, we will emerge from this crisis stronger.
May God bless all the mothers of our nation.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP
Leader of the Opposition
10th May, 2020