Life in Lucky Valley - Residents glad to be blessed with beautiful river

Extremely bad roads and a shortage of potable water are just two of Lucky Valley's major issues. Just ask Ridley Cummings, who resides in the Clarendon community, and he will readily speak about the area being underdeveloped and lacking opportunities, especially for the younger generation.

"This place needs an entertainment centre, man. It really underdeveloped, and to know that in this time and age, there are still people here that do not have electricity. No big event nuh keep a dem place here. If a man waah hang out, him have to go to a bar or go out in other districts," he said.

Located near Rock River, Lucky Valley is a farming community which relies mainly on sorrel, sugar and citrus. Getting to sections of the community is no easy task.

Residents say that the absence of piped water has left them with no other option but to do their laundry in the river. It is also their source for drinking water, and the place where a lot of the residents shower.

"I was born in the community and I have never seen water running from our pipes. In fact, no pipes have been laid here. Thankfully, this river has been faithful to us so we can wash. Sometimes it's this same water that we boil and drink, but it is better than the chlorine-filled one," Julienne Burrell, who was seen doing her laundry at the river last week, said.

Another resident, Maria Hall-Gallimore, said the river is a good recreational spot for residents.

"Sometimes me just come and relax," she said.

"The river makes the crops them flourish, you just have to know what to plant," she said.

Cummings was about to water his field when the CENTRAL STAR visited the community. As he filled bottles of water to place on the hamper strapped on to his donkeys, his dog, Rex, kept a close eye on his master.

"A lot of young people just have to turn to farming when dem leave school or leave the community, because nothing nuh deh here for them to do. Nuh jobs or anything. Even some factory would be nice; just anything to brighten up the place," said Cummings, who has deep roots planted in the community.

These deep roots are a result of him fathering 10 children in the community.

"One a the time, the two babymother dem pregnant same time, but me have three with one and married the last one, who have seven youth for me. I take care of all of them because that is what a real man should do," he said.

"Mi nah advise anyone to go try get 10 pickney now though, because dem hard to take care of now. All of my kids a big people and can manage on them own now still, but mi wouldn't advise anyone in these hard times to get a bag a kids," Cummings said.