Sugar Ray Thomas
Thirty years of service to anything or anyone is no ordinary task or accomplishment. It is something that demands commitment, dedication, passion, strength, courage and much more. Market vendor and co-founder of Mother and Daughter Foundation (M & D Foundation), Maureen Vincent has given 30 years of service as a market vendor and has devoted herself to aiding in the development of the nation’s youth through her foundation.Maureen Vincent told The Times in an interview that she was the first vendor to write to the St. Ann Parish Council and acquire a space for vending in St Ann’s Bay. This was done in the 1990s. Ms Vincent sells quite a number of products to persons from all walks of life. These include water coconuts, coal and several other products from her farm.
Vendors need help
Even though she and other vendors have acquired their own space, Ms Vincent laments the conditions under which they have to sell in the St. Ann’s Bay market. They say it is atrocious. “We have some serious problems here. We got no running water, we have to facilitate our own electricity, we have to buy water from the parish council to supply ourselves here and we have no sanitary or bathroom convenience,” she explained.
She went on to lament the cost of the market fee and how they are being treated. “They (the parish council) have been stalking us for the weekly payments of the market fees. If you have half of the money, you cannot pay them because dem nuh want it. Our products are locked up and left to spoil and we don’t get any compensation… Most of us are Comrades and we not getting any support from the parish council,” Ms Vincent told The Times.
She feels that the authorities need to address their challenges urgently.
Ms. Vincent shared the opinion as many others in the town of St. Ann’s Bay that the town is in dire need of development. “The town is lacking in development and many of the old buildings need to be demolished or refurbished. It is nearby to Ocho Rios and there is nothing here in St. Ann’s Bay to attract tourist. No jobs, no nothing and no money spending. More development needs to come and vendors need to be taken care of better,” she said.
More than a vendor
This woman of strength is not only a vendor. She has dedicated part of her life to caring for and molding children who have been abandoned or who are slow learners. This she has done through the Mother and Daughter Foundation (M & D Foundation). “I laid the blue print for this foundation in 1989 and went about acquiring the land to set up the school. I along with Hera Brown, Rebecca Braham and Linette Johnson founded this foundation and we opened in 2010,” explained Ms Vincent. There is a campus operated by Ms Vincent, which is located in Eden Park, Oracabessa. “We operate right throughout the year and we have a summer programme. Our summer camp for the kids, where we teach them academics, art and craft, embroidery and how to make friendship bands so that they can maybe earn something from the skills they are thought. We have seven trained teachers who assist us voluntarily. After two to three weeks we have a graduation for them,” she explained.
However, Ms Vincent notes that the foundation needs help from partners and is calling on any company that may be able to lend assistance to contact her. “We need help to put up cottage for students and their parents to stay. Also, we need help to set up a teachers’ cottage to facilitate our teachers. If anyone wants to help I can be contacted at 386-0567,” explained Ms Vincent.
