Dear Editor,

I was born into a poor family. I had 4 older sisters and 3 older brothers. My father was a factory worker and my mother was a seamstress. We grew up poor, but mostly happy. I was the last child, so I got to wear all my brothers’ cast-off shirts, pants, socks, tennis shoes, etc.

 All of us were moderately bright and did well in school. My parents struggled to put us into high school, and then into sixth form.

After graduating from sixth form, I had high hopes of going abroad (Jamaica) to study to be a lawyer. This, since I graduated with a G.P.A of 3.99.

This, apart from eating beans and flour tortillas 3 times a day –Sunday to Sunday – was the hardest thing I ever set out to do. I applied for a scholarship all over the place, but to no avail.

Finally, after an entire year, I gave up and applied for a teaching job. Now, looking back, I have finally accepted the sad truth. Only the rich, privileged few in Belize get scholarships. Only the “Baymen Clan” crowd.

These rich people, who can well afford to pay to send their kids to study abroad, get scholarships for all their kids. They have all the money in the world, yet they get all the perks for their children.

This is the way all those corrupt, no-good, thieving politicians keep the poor people down in Belize. This applies for everything in Belize. The rich, well-connected, privileged few get all the good jobs; they get all the promotions, all the perks.

I remember when houses were being given out in the Cayo District years aback. I applied for one; I qualified, so I was one happy camper. I was looking forward to being a first-time homeowner. I made big plans for the house I had picked out. I imagined the garden I would make, the trees I would plant.

I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, until one day I saw people