Poverty in St. Lucia

Wednesday March 11th, 2008

The impoverished areas of St. Lucia are largely unseen by both tourist and a large majority of middle – upper class Lucians. Those that live in better homes have better access to good roads, buses, and shops. Sometimes the poverty stricken ghettos are only one or two blocks away down a beaten path that a car can hardly pass through. Unless you live in, grew up in, or know someone who lives in these areas, you can spend your whole life with no reason to ever explore those rugged paths. Well off individuals that have access and can afford water and/or electricity often times don’t even realize there are people living just a stone throw away that don’t have running water and use out houses. Recently, I spoke with a local St. Lucian that was astonished when I told her that some St. Lucian’s still use pit toilets and can’t afford electricity; she could hardly believe me. Furthermore, a volunteer recently reported to me that one of her community partners made the comment, “everyone has at lease one computer in their homes these days.” The reality is, only about 10% of the islands households have computers. This is how hidden the poverty in St. Lucia can be.