Melissa and Roosevelt Skerrit’s children have lived lives that most Dominican children will only ever dream of. They have travelled the world, experienced every comfort, and been handed opportunities that most families will never afford. So let us be clear that this is not a story of hard-earned achievement. It is a slap in the face to every hardworking parent struggling to provide, and to every child who genuinely needed that support but was pushed aside for the sake of political privilege.

Melissa Skerrit had a chance to do the right thing, to publicly decline the scholarship and send a powerful message that privilege should never come before need. But instead, she chose privilege, took the opportunity, and then flaunted it for applause. That is not just selfish, it is shameful, it is tacky, and it shows just how disconnected this entire family is from the struggles of ordinary Dominicans.

What makes this even more shameful is that it could have been a perfect moment as a mom to teach her son about humility, generosity, and integrity. To be humble, a moment to show her son that at any age, no matter who you are, you can choose to give back to those who truly need it. Instead, the Skerrit family chose to take. They chose to teach entitlement instead of empathy, greed instead of gratitude, and then had the audacity to brag about it publicly.

When the privileged steal from the poor and call it success, Dominica has a problem far deeper than politics; it has a crisis of conscience. They do this not by accident, but deliberately, because the system rewards them, protects them, and even applauds them for it.

They do things like this, take scholarships they do not need, flaunt their privilege publicly, and expect applause because they know they can get away with it. Here is why:

1. They Are Operating In A Culture Of Blind Loyalty.

Dominica’s political landscape has been shaped by decades of deep party allegiance, not based on performance or principle, but on identity. For many supporters of the ruling party, criticizing Melissa or Roosevelt Skerrit is like criticizing a family member, it is personal, not political. That loyalty blinds people to wrongdoing. So, when the Skerrits do something unethical, instead of outrage, they are met with praise. That kind of environment creates zero accountability.

2. They Believe They Are Entitled.

When you have been in power for so long and surround yourself with people who never question you, you begin to believe the rules do not apply to you. You believe everything good belongs to you and your circle. Taking a scholarship from a less fortunate child does not seem wrong to someone who thinks, “My child deserves it more because of who we are.” It is entitlement in its purest form.

3. It Is About Optics And Image Building.

To the Skerrits, everything is about controlling the narrative. By announcing a scholarship win, even though they do not need it, they create an image of humility, of hard work, of “normalcy.” It sends the message: “See? We are just like you. Our kids succeed like yours could.” But it is all a show, a performance meant to humanize a political dynasty and distract from the deep inequalities they help maintain.

4. They Are Out Of Touch With Reality.

When you live in a world of government paid luxury, travel, security, perks, no financial stress, it becomes easy to forget the daily struggles of ordinary Dominicans. You do not see hungry kids, unemployed parents, or families choosing between light bills and groceries. So, they honestly do not see anything wrong with taking what is meant for the needy. Their wealth has made them morally disconnected from the people they claim to serve.

5. They Do It Because No One Holds Them Accountable.

In a healthy democracy, the media, the opposition, and the public would hold leaders to account for unethical behavior. But in Dominica, many media outlets are either silent or complicit, and the opposition parties have failed to inspire confidence. So, the ruling elite continues unchecked. They take what they want because no one stops them.

6. It Is A Power Move.

By taking something as symbolic as a scholarship and daring to post about it, they’re sending a message:

“We can take even the little you want, and you will still clap for us.”

That is not just arrogance. It is political dominance, a way to show who is in charge and who benefits, no matter what.

They do these things not by mistake, but because the system allows it, and because too many people let it happen. That is why change can not come from inside the system. It has to come from the people who are tired of being exploited, ignored, and humiliated.

The Hypocrisy Of The Melissa Skerrit Foundation: Giving With One Hand, Taking With The Other.

The so-called Melissa Skerrit Foundation, established in 2016 and branded as a charitable organization “dedicated to enhancing the welfare of Dominica’s citizens,” claims to champion education, health, and poverty alleviation. Through programs like “Adopt a Child Back-to-School,” the foundation hands out backpacks, school supplies, and even scholarships to students in need, at least, that is the public image carefully crafted for political points.

But how genuine is this “charity” when Melissa Skerrit herself is willing to take a scholarship meant for a child in need and hand it to her son, a child born into one of the wealthiest and most powerful households in Dominica?

This is what ordinary Dominicans call: Blatant Hypocrisy!

On one hand, Melissa presents herself as a benefactor to the poor, posting pictures of giveaways, backpacks, and smiling children, all under the banner of compassion and goodwill. But on the other hand, she has no issue watching her privileged child accept a scholarship that could have changed the trajectory of another child’s life, a child whose parents are skipping meals or working multiple hustles just to afford uniforms and schoolbooks.

This is not just a contradiction, it is an insult to every struggling family in Dominica who genuinely relies on the kind of assistance her foundation claims to provide.

How can someone who claims to “support education for the needy” allow their child, raised in luxury, with every door already open to him, to take resources meant for the underprivileged? And worse, how can she publicly celebrate it?

This reveals the true nature of the Melissa Skerrit Foundation, a political tool used to soften the image of privilege and power, while the real decisions behind the scenes tell a much different story.

Real charity begins with integrity. By setting the example. By saying, “My child does not need this, and giving it to someone who does.” Melissa Skerrit had that opportunity. She failed. And in doing so, she exposed the uncomfortable truth, this foundation is more about optics than outcomes, and more about control than compassion.

Dominicans deserve better than symbolic generosity wrapped in self-promotion. They deserve leaders who give with clean hands, not those who take behind the scenes and smile for the camera.

That is why the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) refuses to play the same old game. We are here to tear it down and rebuild something that finally puts people, not privilege, first.

At the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP), we do not waste time trying to wake up the blind loyalists. Their devotion is so deep, it borders on self-destruction. Instead, we are speaking directly to the thousands who have lost faith in all political parties, those who stayed home on election day because they have had enough of the lies, the corruption, and the false promises.

We are also hearing growing frustration from lifelong supporters of the United Workers Party and the Dominica Labour Party. They are even beginning to question the direction of this country and the mess their leaders have made of their lives. These are people ready to break away, and their votes are now within our reach.

Parents are tired. Tired of buying books they can not afford, of struggling to find work, of fighting with the ideas of paying to send their children to school and putting food on the table. Meanwhile, Melissa Skerrit is on Facebook bragging about stealing a scholarship from one of those very same children for whom it was designed to help, to keep more money in her famly’s privileged 5 government salary household.

Dominica is suffering. The people are suffering. And those at the top keep getting richer, more entitled, and more disconnected. Blind loyalty is not patriotism. It is a poison. And unless we remove it from our political bloodstream, Dominica will continue to suffer under the weight of its silence.

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