A story published yesterday about how several inner-city single mothers were barely able to feed their children, up to nine in instances, has ignited a debate among Jamaica Observer online readers. Here are some edited comments:

vocalist

I don’t like this at all. Wish I could become a leader for my people. Human beings deserve a second chance at life. Forgive us father.

GUEST 2.5

@vocalist: You can get a group of friends together and say how can we help them stand up. Find an elderly person in the neighbourhood who they trust and have her become the community baby sitter . (Budget to pay her out of your pockets for at least six months.) Get the mothers back into some learning institutions, or learn to sew, bake, etc. Make sure the children are fed. Birth control! These females need a doctor’s visit and birth control. To get to a destinatination, we have to start with the first step!

Iwillhelpthem

I couldn’t help it. Is it bad that I’m not sorry for them? Mistake five, six, seven times? I don’t think so! Birth control is too easy to get these days. I don’t buy it. Beg money to go further your education. This is my opinion. I see this too many times.

Crucial

@Iwillhelpthem: HEART is basically free. A lot of churches offer skills training for free. I’m not exactly sorry for them, either.

 FeeFee Braids

@ Iwillhelpthem: You’re not sorry for “them”? The kids had no say in this.

Yadda

“You see, in Jamaica the authorities just react instead of trying to help you. If yuh tell yuh story all dat will happen is people come attack you,” she said. That is so true and it is not only in Jamaica. I have to ask: do they still have free contraceptives at the clinics? I am thinking you all could have done all that you have done but not have so many kids. It is NOT fair to the kids. BTW, I do not wish to attack you, for where governments fail to give women resources they have no other choice but to resort to the oldest profession.

Travellingman

@Yadda, I hold no brief for either gang of misleaders but give the devil his due. Both gangs have spent endless sums on these people supposedly to help them up in life and they have, all too often, still sat around having more children that they cannot support. Careless parenting is a major source of Jamaica’s poverty, violence and other problems. If John Public is to continue to be taxed to keep these people alive, then John Public, as any father, also has the right to make decisions regarding their child bearing. This slackness has to stop or they will pull us all even further down.

chikV2Ebola

Who really cares about the poor and defenseless? It’s all gibberish and electioneering strategy !

ackee

…Where is personal responsibility in all of this? Eight pickney and you can’t even use the smart phone beside you to call one of the fathers? This is why I detest politicians like you. People must run their own lives and stop blame JLPNP.

Mack

…It is time that we stop making excuses for adults and start to hold them accountable for their actions. These women (and the baby fathers) are not victims, but instead are child abusers and irresponsible adults.

The title of this story should be… Child abuse rampant and out of control in some inner-city communities.

Crucial

@Mack: Yep. And they should start sending them to jail if the children need nutrition and care.

Monique…

No excuse to keep having so many kids. Where are your vegetable gardens where you can at least provide some sustenance? You can get with the other mothers and start a community garden.

Sondon

Hope the cellphone on the left is not hers, as it is sure better than the one I own. While things are tough in this country, some people’s priorities are messed up. Why on earth will these mothers of eight not consider some form of permanent birth control?

Meredith

@Sondon: I wondered if anyone else noticed the Samsung phone… I really hope it’s not hers!

guest

Thi s is what is meant by “be fruitful and multiply”.

Marlon

There was a certain high school principal who was almost crucified, when he suggested people should not have too many children that they can’t afford. With 5, 6, 7 or 8 children, even a middle-class family would find this a struggle. Use contraception, condoms are not that expensive. The Government should, however, step in and try to help these people to end this vicious cycle of poverty.

newschecker

So now we see why poverty persists in our country. What role does birth control play in all of this? Women need to protect themselves from having children they can’t afford.

fieldgar

These women in these depressed communities need to be “tied off” so they don’t have more than two children. This situation is undoubtedly a breeding ground for more crime and poverty in the society. If possible also, these baby faddas also need to be held and castrated.

Brooklyn_Man

I guess the deed is done. When will we learn that sex, as sport, will only end in misery? This doesn’t matter which country you are in.

kgn 13 yute

…In my opinion, if any woman has three children by three different men and is not in a better position than she was with the first two, something is definitely wrong with her.

countrybumpkin

The cycle of poverty continues, when these children become adults as they will repeat the same lifestyle. Poverty is glamorised and our politicians are quite comfortable warehousing the masses in tenement yards or squatter settlements.

GoLarge

The government needs to put something in place to help discourage these women from bearing children only to make them suffer. If they cannot prove they can afford to raise a child, the pregnancy should be terminated early. Another option is that …injection.

yaneke

Isn’t that area in the PM’s constituency? Seems like more kids × more PNP votes = a never-ending poverty and a happy Portia!

Devon Robins

That’s the reality of life in Jamaica. The social protection initiatives are woefully inadequate and if drastic changes are not made to address these issues then the country will continue to go downhill because our human capital is the most important resource that we have. Unless we lift our people out of poverty then we will all be in poverty more and more each day.

durrabm

I have no sympathy for women who behave so irresponsibly. Birth control is free in Jamaica, yes, free, and yet they go around having as many as seven children. Women, you own your body, stop making excuses and act responsible; it is just not fair to the children!

Sean S

These women were Irresponsible for sure. However, they are trying to provide for their kids. The government needs to find the fathers and force them to live up to their responsibilities. Let us not forget that these children are in a situation that is no fault of their own. Sad story… but it’s a common story.

shamster

One child I can understand, two even, but to continue having children knowing the situation you are in just doesn’t make any sense. Indeed, mistakes happen, but after the first or second child, wouldn’t it make more sense to make extra effort not to get pregnant?

Dougie

What this boils down to is a lack of education on the part of these women and a lack of action on the part of the state to ensure that fathers pay child support in this country.