St Bess woman taps the healing properties of coconut oil

Tatiana Reynolds, a budding businesswoman, has big dreams for her community of Retirement district in North West St Elizabeth.

The 38-year-old mother of seven hopes her small natural products business will be able to build her community, which she said is unable to keep bright minds.

"We need to have something in the community for the young to do. If there is something for them to do, it will keep them home, and we won't have everybody leaving," said Reynolds.

Reynolds is hoping for help to make her dream a reality.

"I would like a grant to set up factory space and get the needed equipment. It would enable me to employ young people and keep them home to help build our community," she said.

She said young people are just "trickling out" and added, "even my children are asking what they are we going to do after school."

Reynolds' aunt's illness has led her to start a business of producing natural products like cold press coconut oil. The business, however, takes the name Aunt Jull's from her grandmother.

"Aunt Jull loved coconut and would add coconut oil to almost everything," she said.

She said that after grandmother died, her aunt came from Canada for the funeral, and took sick and couldn't go back.

"She called on me for coconut oil, so I prepared it and also introduced it to other persons, and that's how it all started," said Reynolds.

Now she is supplying individuals in and out of her community with approximately 100 bottles of coconut oil monthly.

She also produces turmeric powder, ginger powder, castor oil and pimento powder. She said that turmeric powder is good for the digestive system and skin; castor oil is good for thickening of hair, itchy scalp, crack heels, fungus in the nails, while pimento powder is a good spice.