A total of 667 Home Care Providers converged at the National Cultural Centre last week, to receive letters of permanent employment. Their transition to permanent tenure effectively ended a system where Home Care Providers were forced out of work for a month, in accordance with their status as short term employees.

The work arrangement, widely viewed as limiting, was decried by the Minister for Equity, Hon. Joachim Henry. He said the new arrangement fulfills important United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which Saint Lucia is a signatory.

“To reduce poverty, persons must find employment that is dignified,” the minister said. “The goal did not just say work. It spoke about dignified work. Work is not dignified when there is one month in every year when you don’t know how you will pay your bills and your debts.”

Home Care Providers assist the elderly, the sick and the helpless. However their impact goes beyond just their physical duties.

Mr. Bernez Khodra, whose mother is a direct beneficiary of the program, explained: “The caregiver assigned to my mother has become so much more than a helper. She is a companion, a source of strength, and a bridge back to independence. With her support my mother has regained a daily routine, relearned how to manage tasks around the house, and even rediscovered her love for washing and storytelling. Most importantly, I have seen her smile return.”

Thursday’s ceremony was also addressed by Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre. He recalled that the program was first introduced by the former prime minister, Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony, twelve years ago. He congratulated the workers, but also urged them to be duly responsible in fulfilling their duties.

“Go out there tomorrow with a new sense of purpose, a new sense of dignity, a new sense of awareness that the government has shown confidence in you. You have to show equal confidence in yourself by executing your duties to the best of your ability. For our part, we will ensure that you get a decent wage because we are the government that established a minimum wage for the workers of this country.”

The ceremony for the transition to permanent tenure was held at the National Cultural Centre on October 2. Home care workers are employed by the statutory body, the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) that is governed by its own legislation.