BROWN’S TOWN, St Ann — Sandra Wishart, a single mother of three, says she has been trying to get on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) for a decade but she keeps getting the runaround.

She was one of several residents of Brown’s Town and surrounding areas who vociferously voiced their displeasure during a town hall meeting on Wednesday concerning the hurdles that are keeping them from accessing the programme’s benefits.

“More than 10 years now me a try get on with my kids and nothing not going through. Every time them tell me that the application fail and me must come back, or them a tell me some other runaround. I go to the office so many times and no progress at all, and sometimes not even the fare I don’t have to be going back and forth,” Wishart told the
Jamaica Observer.

“It is hard for me, and some people who don’t need the money are getting it,” she complained.

Keisha Tucker had a similar story of encountering roadblocks in her attempts to be certified for the monthly financial grants.

“I’ve been trying to get on the PATH for more than five years now. Every time I go to the office they say I’m put on draft, and I don’t know what that means. I tried to get my mother on it before she died and it has not worked. My father is almost 80, and I’m trying to get him on it as well, and to no success. My son is now 18 and I have been trying from primary [school] and nothing,” she said as she stood to express her concerns during the meeting at Wesley Methodist Church Hall in Brown’s Town.

Tucker, who resides in Wilberforce, Brown’s Town, said she was told that social workers would visit to complete verification but nothing has happened to date.

“Every time I hear that the workers are coming and up to now they can’t reach. I need the help to buy medication for my father and to feed him. There is a government programme to help people and we not getting any help, so what’s the sense?” asked the frustrated woman.

In response, Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr promised that PATH will be revamped to address the issues being faced.

“We are here to hear your story and take information from you about not just the challenges but also about what we can do to improve the process,” he assured.

Last Wednesday’s meeting is the first in a series across the country. The goal is to address fundamental issues in the evaluation process, selection criteria, and appeal process so as to ensure that families who are in dire need are adequately supported.

“We need to address the lengthy delay in terms of verification and see whether or not the programme is helping and truly achieving the goals that we seek. So we have adopted a transformational approach to reinforce our commitment that PATH remains and improves in being responsive and effective and progressive [in meeting] the most current needs that we have for the vulnerable in our country,” said Charles.

“We want those who are on PATH to be a testimony and speak about what PATH has done for them; we want to break the generation of poverty,” he added.

Wishart is hoping to see a difference and that she will be added to the programme’s list of beneficiaries.

“I really need the help to send my children to school because my son is doing really well, but sometimes him have to stop because me don’t have the money to send him,” she said.