My colleague at Noticia Cla published an interesting news item yesterday stating that according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, CBS, 15.9% of homes in Aruba are living in poverty.
I do not know what exactly propelled him to look into the issue of poverty on Aruba yesterday, but I welcome his attempt to shine a light on our internal challenges.
ONE QUESTION REMAINS: Why does a journalist have to base his report on 2010 findings? Where are the 2017 findings?
Yes, according to the 2010 Aruba Multidimensional Poverty Index, AMPI, of eight years ago, we have 5,105 homes meaning 13,638 people living in vulnerable households, subsisting in slight, to moderate poverty up to severe deprivation.
I think it is outrageous that we have to base our conduct, legislation and allotment of resources on a study that is eight years old.
What is CBS doing to update and inform GOA about the actual situation here?
In a recent talk given by Lisette Malmberg, who was pitching the HOPE foundation to local companies, she stated that based on CBS findings, 42% Arubans live under subsistence level, with just 9% of the population in possession of higher education. Lisette reports addiction rate at 50%.
According to Noticia Cla, the big picture of vulnerability here, from slight to severe, includes 6,144 homes, out of which 1,437 are dirt poor.
More of those may be found in San Nicholas, less in the Noord/Tanki Leendert area.
And many of those vulnerable homes have one or two economically inactive people living in it, retired, or infirmed, at an average age of 65 to 68.
Sure, kids live in 30% of the economically deprived homes, a total of 2,931 children, whose parents are relatively young, but they still experience scarcity.
The article offers two ways to define the minimal subsistence level on the island in 2010: One as Awg 1,985, per person, based on the cost of living, and the other putting it at Awg 1,365, which represents 60% of the average personal income here.
What about the 2017 findings. I am afraid to ask. I would also be afraid to look.
CBS what happened? Did you fall asleep at the wheel, did you go on AO for 8 years?
