Lisa Hanna, Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade and MP for South East St. Ann has made a concerted effort to address the vital needs of the people who she represents in Parliament.

Hanna had a major scare in last year’s general election, managing to hold on to her seat by the skin of her teeth. Critics have asked questions of her ability to manage her seat but it can be argued that she was preoccupied with wrestling control of the party and placing her energies on taking the PNP in an altogether different direction and restoring its popularity.

Now she has time to refocus on her constituency and sure up her position, she can concentrate on the stewardship of South East St Ann.

Politics is all about giving the people what they want and if possible what they need. The people of South East St Ann need water piped into their communities and they need it desperately.

Hanna identified that and sought the help of the Chinese community. They have kindly donated four water tanks that have the capacity to hold 23,000 gallons of water. This will go some way in helping the residents of Claremont and Moneague.

Speaking on her initiative to address this water shortage crisis, Hanna said: “An estimated 45 per cent of residents in  South East St Ann (SESA) live in areas with no source of piped water or are faced with severe shortages on a daily basis.   “We all know that a reliable and sustained supply of water is one of the most important factors in the development of communities and the livelihoods of residents and with limitations on what NWC and others are doing, we have to get creative with how we give people access to infrastructure.”

She explained that “the SESA Community Water supply Initiative will see the establishment of water storage tanks in communities from which water would be piped and gravity fed to homes. The communities will be involved in the identification of sites for installation of the systems which would accommodate both spring catchment and trucked supplies. The communities would also be responsible for supporting the safety and proper upkeep of the tanks.”

Hanna deserves kudos for this and many in her party should be gracious enough to do so. What she has done here should not go overlooked.

Jamaicans going without adequate water supplies is not only disconcerting but tells one just how underdeveloped the country really is and just how far it has to go.

True grit will have to be Hanna’s mantra as she contends with political gamesmanship from her party on both the local and national side. Some see her as a clear and present danger and want to oust her from any future leadership contest.

She herself has said that women have it particularly hard and as the poster girl for women in Jamaican politics today and after serving four terms in politics she will have to show stubbornness and dogged determination.

It is going to get very rough for her and this may well prove to be her greatest test yet.

Is she up for it?

Well, she has support within the party and many see her as a winning ticket with the electorate.

It all begins with a good start.

One does wish she would refrain from harping on about the difficulties faced by women and place more faith in her own innate abilities, instincts and experience.

They have served her well thus far.

Last week she wrote: “ It’s not easy being a woman anywhere. Moreover, for women leaders, the obstacles are greater, the demands are greater, the barriers are greater and the double standards are greater. Women leaders have had to pay a high price.

“We are often viewed as interim rallying points in times of crisis and then have to fight men who view us as rubber stamps for their own authority.”

There is no need to enter gender wars or clashes with men. Go about your work with purpose and diligence and be judged on results. Here you can take a leaf from Margaret Thatcher’s book.

Her biographer Allan Mayer once wrote, “In Margaret Thatcher’s view, her sex is an irrelevancy and she is annoyed by people who make too much of a fuss over it.”

On politics and governance, The Iron Lady once quipped: “ Any woman who understands the problems of running  a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.”

All homes need water and you Lisa have done something tangible about that.