(IPS 2/3/2000) Some families have to rely on their children to earn money or let their children fend for themselves, and many leave Jamaica. " Children are becoming premature bread winners to support themselves due to economic stress in Jamaica. In many cases, there are no fathers in the home and mothers can’t make ends meet," says Judith Maitland, a social worker. (Inter Press Service 2/3/2000). This reminds me of "Mystery Lady’s" situation in Dance Hall Queen, she wanted her daughter to do whatever it took to keep the money coming in, even if it meant giving her body to her Uncle Larry, and at such a young age. It also relates to the statistic stated previously where so many children were having sex by the time they were 10 to 12 years old. Jamaicans have also developed the practice of "child shifting", which means that children live with many care givers. In 1996 a report released by UNICEF(United Nations Children’s Fund), states that, " 18.6% or almost one fifth of Jamaican children under the age of 18 did not live with either of their parents." This may be another reason why so many children are having sex so young, with no father in the home, or no parents at all to teach them, or just out of desperation, they "sell" their bodies for a place to live. Or perhaps they just act irresponsibly because they do not know any better. The study also adds, "that some 44.5% of children with no permanent home live in poverty." This adversely affects the school attendance of many children; between 19 and 25% of children fail to attend classes regularly, making poverty a never ending cycle. Almost 25% of Jamaica’s population is said to be illiterate, "Inadequacies in the qualifications and skills of early school - leavers mean that many young people are out on the streets rather than gaining the knowledge they need to improve Jamaica and it’s development." (IPS 2/3/2000) It is hard for families to provide a home when so many of the people are unemployed. Unemployment currently is just over 16%; (IPS 2/3/2000). Just for reference, the general economic goal for unemployment, or what is considered a "good’ level of unemployment, is 4%. It was also estimated that in 1999, on average 2,000 people lost their jobs each month. In 1999 it was estimated that 750,000 people out of a population slightly over two million are living below the poverty line, which is defined as earning the minimum of $25 per week,(IPS 2/3/2000). The average annual Jamaican income is $8,000 ( The Associated Press 10/4/99). One of the dresses "Mystery Lady" wanted to buy in Dance Hall Queen, cost $8,000. At the time I wondered how much $8,000 was in Jamaica, now that I know it is the average annual income of a Jamaican, I have a whole new appreciation for the dresses the women wear in the contests and the contests themselves. It makes me wonder if the women in the dancehall scene are wealthy Jamaicans or if they are more like "Mystery Lady", in that they just scrape together enough money to get a costume made for them?