Street activist, Mustafa-Khalil Khalfani, said the lack of interest by communities across New Providence has slowed down the government’s Urban Renewal Programme and left rundown areas riddled by crime. But Mr Khalfani said he is most worried about his hometown areaï¾–Ross Corner.
“We just don’t have criminals in our neighbourhood, we have people who want to be criminals. We live in a neighbourhood where there’s a constant struggle between good and evil and evil always seems to be winning. Whatever good is happening in the neighbourhood, its difficult to see and recognise it. We’re dealing with a lot of people who have very little personal pride, community pride and much less, national pride,” said Mr Khalfani, who was an outspoken activist in the 1980’s. The dynamic advocate for social reform said he had been quiet for too long and is now “coming out of retirement.” He added that a simple walk around his neighbourhood has proven that some Ross Corner residents have simply given up on life. Mr Khalfani said recently, people have been dumping old cars and other unwanted items in vacant lots and displaying a “don’t care attitude” toward their community. He also said that the area’s young people have been caught in this web of destruction and are showing “anti-social and destructive behaviours.” The “lifelong activist” who has been living in the area all his life, believes that the government’s Urban Renewal Programme ought to draft in people from within the community, as they have first hand knowledge of the social ills that plague the area.
He added that when building these kinds of organisations, the whole idea is to start from the ground up.
“I always had a problem with programmes that started from the top and then came down to the residents, rather than having it start at the bottom and building it up, so that ordinary people would be involved,” he said. “The whole idea is to build these kinds of organisations from the ground up and not from the government come down.”
Mr Khalfani remembered that prominent Bahamians such as Minister of Education, Alfred Sears and businessman Franklyn Wilson, both grew up through the historic corner. But lately, he said, the over-the-hill community has been riddled with crime and drugs.
“I don’t think they’re [Ross Corner residents] conscious to understanding that this is a reformation of themselves and their community. Ghetto communities don’t have personal and community pride, it’s lacking in the community. Until people feel proud about themselves as individuals in their communities, they’re not going to make any difference. It’s always going to be an area of breeding criminals and the worst of humanity.”
The social activist said it is predominantly Bahamians who run down the area and is calling on Ross Corner residents to reverse the trend.
“We need people, who, when they’re on the street, to go on their cell phones and snitch on criminals on the streets and criminals in the neighbourhoods and inform the police about what is going on,” he said. “We need more snitches. We have a rich history through Ross Corner and I’m continuously fighting to maintain this honourable image from back in the day. I’m coming out of retirement and I’m going to get active again.”
By: IANTHIA SMITH, The Nassau Guardian
