Friday, June 8, 2012 – a day at Port
Maria for a Police Youth Club and 4H Meeting, and while there and enjoying the ocean view, sounds, etc. ... I could not help but find myself scratching my head by the contrast of plastic bottles obstructing an otherwise perfect view.
CONUNDRUM No. 1 - how to get used to trash on a beautiful island.
CONUNDRUM No. 1 - how to get used to trash on a beautiful island.
Where am I in Jamaica? – Not on maps, In St Mary Parish, near Dressike or Gayle in St. Mary Parish.
Beautiful , lush hillsides, sparsely
populated, and often you can hear the running water of the streams that run
through the area.
How to illustrate Jamaica’s
diversity in climate, people, terrain and more? This with a backdrop of statistics -
Jamaica is the 4th highest in terms of poverty rate – or 43%
live in extreme poverty - $J200 (US $2.50) day (and St. Mary Parish, where I
live, is the poorest of all the Parishes).
Unemployment overall for Jamaica is at 14%. Inflation continues to
oppress with double digits (10% in 2009, 11%, 2010…). Jamaicans spend 12% of
their income on fuel based – electricity, taxis, busses, etc. Poverty sucks! …
and still I wake up excited to work with a group of women who laugh together,
work hard, and hope to give their children a better life…Mile Gully
Entrepeneureal Group.We gather and clean eggs, and the
conversation is rich as is the laughter … some is about who will need eggs today, and how to
get enough from sales to cover the feed …
But if I back up and take a look at the
community, for the past six years (plus) there has been considerable effort put
into getting water to our community (less than 300 households). Without water,
people go to the stream to wash their clothes and bathe. Pit toilets are the
norm.
Last week, we had a meeting with
potential funders (for a new project) and with a few phone calls to friends in
higher places by this group to the Ministry of Water etc.)… it was revealed
that monies are again ear marked for this stalled water project. The wish list for the community consists of
water, road (badly need repair), training, employment, street lights … and my
hope … internet access. Because the water project has taken so long, it has
taken a toll on the communities’ willingness to undertake another project.
An overview of my community is:
- - Employment of household heads is mainly in farming and among persons 65 years and over
- - Women’s employment is in vending and domestic work
- - There is a fair level of building related skills among men
- - High unemployment/underemployment exists for the 22-44 age range
- - A grave situation of unemployment/underemployment exists among women
- - A sharp gender stratification of skills exists, with women in the low paying skills.
- - Among women, 61% are unskilled
Other activities that are bubbling up include:
Getting ready to make compost from the chicken coops for the green house ...
Getting ready to make compost from the chicken coops for the green house ...
The high school-Tacky High, named
for the hero of the 1760 Revolt – Easter
Rebellion, is in my nearest town, Gayle (where I do internet café) and where I
get taxi’s for wherever I go:
Or I may go to Mt. Angus Primary and Junior High, and watch a local race:
