๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ? My name is Makhicia Brooks, Iโm 31, and Iโm the managing director here at the Sint Maarten Development Fund. SMDF is a social development agency, and we do that in two ways. We are executing social projects and programs. For example, after Irma, we did home repairs, right now weโre doing a project called community spaces, where we create social outdoor spaces where people can gather. In addition to that, we do social development financing. So, we try to get funds and donations and put that back into the community, transparently and responsibly. I really enjoy being outside, because I spend so much time inside. I love reading and I enjoy just, exploring.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐? The ability to explore, I love traveling, but I havenโt left the island in over a year. And that has been one of my biggest challenges, not being able to just go to Statia or Anguilla to visit family because of concerns of having to quarantine, or being trapped abroad. Traveling is definitely one thing that Iโm passionate about, and Covid has taken that from me. Covid also made it more difficult to spend time with loved ones. A good example is my dad. My dad is my first love and turns 72 this week, but I have not gotten a hug from him for over a year. In the pandemic, I would go over but I would stay on the porch. He would be in the kitchen and we talked through a door. That was probably one of the most difficult parts for me. It made me realize just how physical we are as human beings and human interaction until it is no longer there. Professionally it was having to alter the way we work overnight. So, before our office would be filled with people, and we always had an open-door policy. Even regular persons who were having some difficulties or need some advice would come in and we would talk with them and try to help them out. That hasnโt been the same and theyโre not used to the door being closed. Also, because we have such a small staff, every time there is a concern about someone being out ill, that creates a lot of worries. Fortunately, there is technology, so we now use WhatsApp to talk to clients and email more but that was a very rapid overnight change.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐? My main reason is for the people around me to be quite honest. I'm relatively healthy. While I was very conscious and aware of the potential threats physically to COVID, I'm taking it more for my parents and loved ones around me. Additionally, I'm taking it for my community. I believe that the fewer active cases we have on Sint Maarten, the more likely it will be that more tourists feel comfortable coming here again, which means more spending, and more people having jobs again. I'm looking forward to us going back to the stronger physical contact that a lot of us are craving. I have a lot of loved ones or friends who have partners and loved ones with pre-existing conditions. So, I think the vaccine isn't solely about us as individuals, but it's also about us as communities. And how do we make decisions that benefit as many people in our communities?
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐? I would say, monitor science and, listen to the experts. One of the challenges with 24-hour news cycles and social media is that everything is presently available. And, it's so much easier for us to jump on the very bad part of the story. There is one tiny dark cloud, Oh, it was a terrible day. I support freedom of speech but be critical of what is being said and also where it's coming from. I'm not a medical expert, so I rely on the medical advice of experts, just like I rely on financial experts. And also let's look at the majority and the minority. Because yes, there have been people who have had not-the-best responses after getting the vaccine. But the question is: Is that the majority or a very minuscule minority? Nothing in life is riskless. So, if 99% is a success, you have to ask yourself, am I really going to be in the one percent that 1%?