Brighter days for Douglas Castle - Residents thrive since getting electricity

Augustus Robb was born and raised in Douglas Castle, St Ann, but, after living there for over 60 years, 2015 was the first time he had electricity.

"Mi body feel lighter since we get light," he laughed.

For some reason, some residents in the community were without electricity for years until three years ago, when the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) supplied their homes with it.

He said that he appreciates the electric company for giving them electricity because they now have the luxury of watching television, something he was not able to do for years.

"Mi buy TV and me watch mainly news, even though sometimes, the signal nuh pick up too good. Sometimes, we watch DVD," he said.

Nicola Robb, who moved to the community some six years ago, said that things were not much different for her compared to where she lived before as there was no electricity there, either.

EASIER LIFE

She said that electricity makes life much easier for her.

"Things better now. Mi can buy little chicken and chicken back put inna fridge, something me couldn't do before," she said, adding that having electricity gave her a reason to buy appliances, such as a refrigerator and an iron. "Now, we can buy up we meat kind and put dem inna di fridge."

She added: "Sometimes, dem (community members) send the pickney dem a school inna dem clothes just so, and the teacha dem a seh we can do better. But, yuh know, we tell dem we nuh have no light."

She told THE WEEKEND STAR that there were times she and other members in the community had to go to neighbours' houses to ask them to use their irons or blenders.

"Sometimes, we go people yaad go beg dem fi blend up supm fi we. We usually go a people house and pay dem to press we clothes fi we because, yuh know, dem have light bill to pay too, but now we can do them things deh pan we own," she said.

Of course, having electricity means having a monthly bill, but Augustus stated that that is not a bother to them.

"Mi nuh affi light nuh kerosene lamp a night time again," he added, laughing.