Bobby Francis | The Village That Raised Us: Will We Now Defend It?

“It takes a village to raise a child” is among Jamaica’s most-beloved adages. At its core is the understanding that our elders are the custodians of our traditions and the architects of our institutions. Yet, today, the question confronts us: how did we manage to forget the village? In 2026, Jamaica must protect the generation that built the very foundation of our society.

The tragic death of Lionel Johnson, an elderly, a homeless man who was brutally attacked in Heroes’ Park in 2022, remains a haunting reminder of our collective failure. But beyond the headlines is a quieter, more persistent reality of the normalisation of elder abuse through financial exploitation, neglect and physical assault.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica projects that by 2050, one in five Jamaicans will be 65 or older. Yet, the statutory silence around their protection is deafening. Indeed, the bipartisan movement toward an Elderly Care and Protection Act is laudable, but past inaction has shown that legislative inertia often creates missed opportunities. Consider that we have a Child Care and Protection Act and a Disabilities Act, yet no equivalent framework for the elderly. Thus, the proposed law must, therefore, establish both a general and prescribed duty of care, recognising that ageing often brings an onset of disabling conditions and increased dependency.

Despite this, our approach to disability rights is woefully inadequate. Enacting The Disabilities Act was a step into the right direction. Still, our actions continue to fall short. For example, how many of our public buildings truly accommodate persons with mobility, sensory or cognitive impairments? The answer, too often, is none. The law may exist, but compliance remains aspirational. The building code must be enforced and increasing public education and awareness is critical.

The year 2026 is a turning point. Our leaders must defend dignity, if we are truly to put people first. Shall we remember the village that raised us or continue to forget?

Bobby Francis holds a Bachelor of Laws, with First Class Honours from the University of Westminster. A current MPhil in Development Studies student at the University of Cambridge, his research examines how Jamaica’s public policy framework can be restructured for sustainable development.