The Tribune

By IVOINE INGRAHAM

Politics aside, are we moving forward as a people? Are we all combining our efforts to contribute our two cents toward a better Bahamas, or are we just sitting on the sidelines waiting for what we could get?

Are we genuinely adding to the discussion, or are we just a bunch of complainers who will never be satisfied? Furthermore, are we genuinely willing to say if something positive is happening, or are we cynical enough to call good bad? Can we find it within ourselves to say well done?

Judging from the talk around the water cooler these days, people are looking in every crack and crevice for a shortcut toward getting ahead. We are so busy measuring where we want to get, where someone is, or what they have.

Our jealousy and envy have consumed us so much that we are inflicting too much pain on ourselves to keep up. We have become accustomed to following social media without checking its validity.

We are so consumed with pretending to do well that we have lost all sense of logic in reasoning and keeping things civilised. Looking good is more important than feeling good, so we spend much time on cosmetics rather than creating a healthy lifestyle to sustain us physically moving forward. We take selfies that have been doctored to give a fictitious image to get “likes”. We’re sad!

In the same way, we are whistling Dixie instead of facing reality, we expect the country to move forward automatically. We all share what happens in the country, even though many of us have a “hands-off” attitude, mainly because the ills do not affect us.

In politics, slogans often overshadow actions. We’re usually told to be patient and trust that things will improve. However, authentic leadership is not about making promises but delivering on those promises.

We’ve seen that compassionate and fair governance can bring about tangible, lasting changes in the lives of all citizens. It’s time we demand more than just words from our leaders. Administrations have not shied away from the hard questions: How do we make life more affordable for families crushed by the cost of living?

How do we give young people jobs and a sense of purpose and patriotism? How do we move from greed toward satisfying with what we have and working to achieve more? How do we make healthcare more accessible and protect consumers from market exploitation? These questions have lingered for decades, but there have always been pros and cons. There has always been what is prudent. But some would even be presumptuous to say being frugal is the best way if the priority is the bottom line on the balance sheet, not the ordinary people’s spirit.

Some of the answers have come in bold initiatives that are already reshaping lives and restoring hope. No matter what is said, raising wages must be the most humane gesture that can begin to show what compassion looks like.

Making ends meet has become burdensome, especially for people who lack discipline and cannot resist compulsive shopping. They buy things because they see others have them, not because they need them. This practice is why merchants succeed: because of the people who cannot resist.

Building clinics cannot be debated; the most humane thing to do is breathe a sigh of relief. Basic health care by any government is what is expected, period, and it is the least that could be done for a people. Nothing can speak to compassion like making it easier to access health care. New clinics have been built, and existing facilities have been expanded and renovated.

Healthcare services reach people where they live, bringing convenience and peace of mind. This progress in healthcare is a beacon of hope for a healthier future for all Bahamians. However, we have much work to do because the expectations at the Princess Margaret Hospital leave much to be desired.

If affordable living eases today’s burdens, preparing the youth ensures tomorrow’s strength. There should be an equally bold vision for young Bahamians, ensuring that responsibility matches opportunity.

In a climate where the grade point average is not encouraging, and since we are saddled with a system where there is a demand for certificates that are not forthcoming in every neighbourhood, we need a stopgap measure.

Also, Bahamians, especially younger Bahamians, have never had a sense of patriotism. The National Youth Guard has placed the people—the everyday worker, the struggling parent, and the ambitious young citizen, at the centre of its mission. They are not pressured to have unattained certificates, so there is a new sense of possibilities in our youth. Now we have First Responders who are fully trained in survival techniques and disaster preparedness and can jump into action when disaster strikes. Wow!

The Youth Guard is more than a programme; it is a movement. It instills discipline, fosters patriotism, and equips participants with the resilience and level-headedness ande sense of responsibility needed to lead in times of crisis. Alongside the National Training Agency and BTVI apprenticeship programmes, it ensures that young people find work and build futures rooted in service, pride, and purpose.

This generation is being prepared not simply to enter the workforce, but to inherit the nation with confidence and responsibility.

Unfortunately, hot breakfast for school children should not be needed, but it is. Children learn better with a hot meal. How could people who lie about being compassionate not see the wisdom? Arguably, families should be able to provide it themselves, but the reality is that some cannot. The Bible speaks about feeding the poor.

Moving from minimum to a liveable wage is a sigh of relief. Many who are not where they want to be can sigh in relief because they can take home a little more. I cannot begin to imagine a single mother of three in Nassau who worked long hours for years at a job that barely paid minimum wage. Every week, she faced impossible choices: groceries or school supplies, the electricity bill or the rent. The wage increase has brought significant relief to families like hers, making it easier to meet their basic needs and providing a sense of security.

This is the story of many, but we as a nation should not selfishly ignore that this exists and not want something done about it. Never mind how she got there, we should all do our part with a hand up, not a handout, to help her. Tomorrow, it can easily be any one of us. Even though it is not enough, all efforts must be made to bring further relief. Moving from minimum wage to liveable wages has been life-changing.

For the first time, she can cover her basic expenses without relying on charity or going into debt. Add to this the reduction in Value Added Tax, which cuts costs at the checkout counter, and her household budget has a cushion it has never had before. A single parent must appreciate that her children will have a hot breakfast that she does not have to worry about.

Equally important have been the consumer protection policies. In a climate where inflation and unfair practices threaten the most vulnerable, it has been made clear that greed will not go unchecked.

By policing businesses, enforcing fair pricing, and establishing stronger consumer protections, the administration has shielded Bahamians from exploitation. For families already stretched thin, these measures are not minor; they are vital.

It sends a clear message: the marketplace must serve the people, not prey upon them. In this fight, the government should stand firmly with the people, providing all Bahamians with support and protection.

Challenges remain, as they always do. However, progress is possible when the people are placed at the centre of policy. Change is taking root in the grocery aisles, classrooms, clinics, and in the very spirit of the nation’s youth, reaffirming the value and importance of every Bahamian.

These policies—wage increases, complimentary breakfast, youth programmes, healthcare expansion, and consumer protection—may represent progress, but the attitude toward these initiatives must change. But taken together, they reveal something even greater: a coherent vision of a nation where fairness is not an afterthought but the foundation.

We must move quickly from who implements progressive initiatives to how they will impact most people. We certainly have some feel-good moments since all we hear are sad stories about the devastation of life.

We must embrace any programme that speaks to our dignity. In an age where productivity, profit, and speed are often prioritised above all else, dignity has become a quiet casualty. Yet dignity is not a luxury to be granted sparingly; it is the fundamental recognition of a person’s worth. Unlike wealth, status, or power, dignity cannot be conferred or revoked by circumstance, it is intrinsic to being human. To strip someone of dignity is to deny their existence as an equal participant in the human community.