Earlier this week someone shared with me an insightful Facebook post in which a young lady shared her view that many young people choose to live outside Anguilla because living in Anguilla is difficult. In particular, she referenced difficulties young people face in accessing affordable financing for small business development and housing. As an older gentleman, this isn’t something I have given much thought to, but it did cause me to stop and think about whether we have lost our way.
When the heroes and heroines of the 1967 Revolution responded to the call to stand up and fight for a better Anguilla, their vision was not just to create a better life for themselves but more opportunities for their children, grandchildren and all future generations. They wanted all Anguillians to be able to thrive on this rock. They were tired of subsistence living. They were tired of having to depend on remittances from overseas to sustain themselves. They had hope and a vision for a new Anguilla where their descendants could enjoy a high quality of life.
Yet here we are fifty-four years later, and young people are finding it difficult to acquire assets such as land, a home or business. These are the very hallmarks of what make Anguilla unique. We pride ourselves on land ownership, building our own homes no matter how long it takes – and opening our own small businesses. If we make two pennies, they are our two pennies. Many families can attest to this. Land, homes and businesses have been passed down through generations and, in the latter case, expanded over time. If a home is not passed down, helping each other to build was a community effort.
It seems to me that with advancement, came greed and selfishness. With access to a more cosmopolitan way of life, we became more materialistic. Our demands increased, and so did our cost of living as we sought to keep up with the Joneses – though they lived a million miles away. We paid little attention to local production, preferring instead to focus on consumption of foreign goods being peddled on various media, making us believe that if something is from outside Anguilla, it is somehow better. When hit by recession and economic stagnation our buying power was reduced. Though still dependent on foreign commodities to sustain the lives we had become accustomed to – as the old people would say, our money couldn’t “stretch” as far.
The result? Life is probably good for those who can afford it. On the other hand, people with what many would consider decent salaries are struggling to make ends meet. Those who are just starting out – students going off to or returning from college, young couples looking to build a home, a young person with a great business idea trying to earn a living, a young mother trying to put a roof over her children’s head, a young man wanting to launch out on his own – must be having a hard time.
From the young lady’s post, and the many persons I have spoken with subsequently, I have come to the realisation that many of our young people are disappointed. They love Anguilla, but they feel that our leaders and older generations have failed them. They feel that there is no place for them here – no hope and no future. Like generations past, they too want to enjoy a high quality of life. However, for many, they are unable to afford the cost of that life here in Anguilla. I am saddened by this because if we lose our youth to other parts of the world – where they can excel in their chosen fields and build a good life for themselves – it means Anguilla will never emerge from this state of stagnation.
While I am happy that our people can make positive impacts all over the globe, for the benefit of society as a whole, I would prefer to know that their choice to live outside Anguilla was based on personal preference and not on necessity. We need our youth, and I am urging our leaders to take decisive action to address their concerns so that they can be assured that there is hope, and a future for them right here in Anguilla.
