Pavement (Homelessness)-Shadiomar McPharlene

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P A V E me n t SHADIOMAR Mcpharlene

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CLIvE ANDy

Clive sat and picked hisherbs that he sold to members of the community; despite living on the streets, he made an effort to do something with his life. He subtly smiles at the camera while holding his herbs and dried plants, in Downtown, Kingston on April 17th, 2016.

Clive Andy woking on bundling his herbs, on East Road, Kingston on April 17th, 2016.

Blurred dried herbs and a focused Clive Andy on East Road on April 17th, 2016.

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omelessness is too often linked to the stereotype that everyone that is mentally ill is homeless or, everyone that is homeless must be mentally ill. Initially, I had similar thoughts; I used the term “mad- man” to define any person that was homeless or lived on the streets.

Clive Andy looks down on his box of herbs and dried plants on East Road, Kingston on April

Clive Andy puts his herb in bundles for sale, on the corner of East Road, Kingston on April 17th, 2016.

This Jamaican term is incredibly inaccurate and is often times used in the wrong context.

Although a large percentage of persons that are homeless tend to be mentally ill, this is not so for everyone. It was only after choosing this topic and observing my surroundings more carefully, that I noticed the distinction between being mentally ill and being home- less. None of the two define the individual; as being mentally ill is nothing more than a health related issue, and being homeless is merely a condition that the individuals find themselves in. Regardless of this, they are people. People that are stuck in their own rut whether because of crime, poverty, fear, neglect, health issues, low wages and/or high costs of living.

Daily we see kids, teenagers, adults and seniors, live, sleep and eat on the streets without truly understand the seriousness of the situation.

We notice people behaving out of the ordinary; walking naked, screaming, digging through the garbage and the extremity of what they are dealing with is lost on us.

The Jamaica Observer’s article entitled, “Statistics show homelessness on a rise”, published January 14, 2016 states that there was a 26 percent increase in the amount of homeless persons in the island between 2012 and 2015. This is just an estimate of those that have been captured in the government’s survey; there are a vast amount of individuals that have not been recorded in the system.

Andy continues to sorts his herbs while speaking about his dilema, on the corner of East Road, Kingston on April 17th, 2016.

Increases in cost of living, a high unemployment rate and low wages have been linked to homelessness. Unfortunately, as time progresses and things become harder; some are unable to have them all and this leads to persons being homeless.

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PAAC Chairman Edmund Bartlett expressed that, “... It is clear the social safety net is missing more and more of those people.

What it is point- ing to is the increasing pauperization of our peo- ple, increasing incidence of hopelessness...peo- ple have given up on life because they can’t make their ends meet...”

Shawn Porter sits on the side on the street in Constant Spring Road on April 21st, 2016.

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SHAWN PORTER

According to The World Bank, Jamaica’s poverty headcount of the population was 19.9% in 2013. That 20 percent of Jamaicans is 540 thousand people; this includes only a fraction of the homeless and mental- ly ill.

Which means close to half of the population is either poor, homeless or mentally ill. According to Lorena Cassady, the effects of chronic homelessness is the costliest of them all; some persons might find themselves displaced for weeks, but those that have been homeless for years need support most. This economic strain on society leads social agencies to find ways to attract contributors to help the lack of income or small income of the homeless that can hardly maintain themselves.

This influences how they think, often leads to them resorting to crime or being in debt; as being homeless or mentally ill decreases your chances of finding or keeping work. This then negatively affects the society.

Homelessness and mental health is a growing issue as daily various issues like, insubordination, poverty, and abuse causes persons to be displaced. This is affects the public as a whole, as such it is in their best interest to be educated through images on the current state of Homelessness.

Half-Way-Tree and met Shawn Porter. Shawn Porter was a young man, who was studying Chemical Engineering abroad until he was deported. When he arrived home, his family had a mortgage squabble that left him homelessness. It was not so much his story that caught my eye but, how eloquently he spoke and how despite living on the street he devoted his time to the thing he enjoyed, Math- ematics. He had a notebook and CSEC Mathematics textbook; and he did not hesitate to show some of his equations. He did exercises, including, factorisation and expressed that the illustration was as far as he could get without a calculator. This just goes to show that the educated are everywhere, some just lack basic necessities and funds to further themselves.

Shaun sits with his belongings at his spot for the day.

Shawn sits in ripped clothing on HWT road on April 21st, 2016.

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According to The World Bank, Jamaica’s poverty headcount of the population was 19.9%

Shawn Porter indicates what he has completed in the text book on Half Way Tree road on April 21st, 2016.

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Shawn Porter grins as we discuss Mathematics on HWT road on April 21st, 2016.

Shawn Porter digs through his bag for his Mathematics work on HWT road on April 21st,

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