Avoiding Oblivion

I read some very upsetting news this afternoon. According to DR1:

“The closure of half of the factories that used to operate in the La Vega industrial tax free zone has meant the loss of 6,000 jobs. According to sources in the industrial park, the shut downs are due to high costs, especially electricity, and the appreciation of the Dominican peso against the United States dollar”.

My mother worked in the La Vega industrial zone for several years. I remember going with her some Saturdays ( I hated it). So many happy people despite the long work hours and the little pay. It was not the best job in the world but, with it, they all managed to feed their families and pay their bills. What will these 6000 families do? There’s not a job market for most of those who lost their job, they probably did not finish school and have a family to take care of. It saddens me to know that the economy is not growing while delincuency is; that those who go through school end up not finding a job; that the moral of many Dominicans is torn; and, that there is very little to do about it. Only those in government can help but of course, just like every other politician in DR, what do they care?