Youngster builds house from wiping windshields

Having had the chance to complete high school, Jamar Christie said he returned to Kingston with the hopes of getting a job. But this was not to be.

However, this did not deter him from trying his best to make something of his life. Having been a windshield cleaner for the past three years, he said that he has been able to build his one-bedroom house.

"Mi spend about $30,000 fi mi house weh me have a Majesty Gardens. Mi can't afford no other house. Mi just come out yah and hustle some money, cook some food and the man dem help me build the room," the 21-year-old man said.

Christie told THE STAR that he has made attempts to get other jobs in the Corporate Area, but he had not gotten any positive feedback.

NO RESPONSE

"Mi put in resume a wharf, a factory and me nah get no call, and me just decide to do this in order not to do bad things. A bare empty promises people come wid when dem seh dem have job fi wi, 'cause all now wi out yah can't get no call," he said.

Even though he did not have a mother or father to provide for him, he said that he got help from his aunt, who took care of him while he was in Kingston. He explained after finishing high school and returning to Kingston, he was introduced to cleaning windshields by a friend.

"My madda run weh and me fadda deh country, so mi used to stay wid mi auntie inna Majesty Gardens. When mi just come back and nothing nah gwaan, mi siddung one day and mi friend seh him a go mek me start a thing and me follow him. From then, me a do this till today," he said.

He said the streets is not the best place to be, but it is what puts food on his table.

"More while, me out yah from six inna the morning until six the night. Sometimes mi a sleep and mi just a kick me foot dem to how dem hot from the day's work. To work out yah, you haffi strong because sometime people come out here wid dem stress and waa tek it out pan yuh. So when yuh see dem people deh, yuh just know seh yuh fi walk far," he said.

Christie, who does not have any children as yet, said that is something he is not ready for anytime soon.

"Me nuh want no child yet because mi nuh want dem come inna poverty like me. Mi want betta for them, so me nuh ready yet," he said.