IMO you are right about the importance to empower people in order to retain them. I also agree with you on other things.
However, you have to gain your space here. You just arrived and are already complaining because you feel you deserve more rewards.
Look at your numbers: 8 followers, following 6 people, 0 comments.
You haven't been giving much to the community in what interaction is concerned. Even if your posts are super good you have no audience yet.
One very unfair thing from the past was that a bigger % of steem was paid as SP interest and a smaller amount was distributed to authors and curators.
In December, before you arrived, some important changes were put in place. More % of reward for posting and curating and less for SP interest, for instance. This was a way of giving some power to "the people" if we consider that not everyone have money to be an investor but everyone is able to write good content and curate.
It's true that many people start earning right away but most do not. My first 14 or 15 posts I earned zero or a few cents. Don't lose hope!
RE: Earnt $1.19 so far on steemit from 11 posts, no wonder youve got no retention. oh well, barrychingfords not here for the moolah