A Ray of Hope for Federal Gardens

JSIF News: 

Sewage water runs continuously in the decrepit drains which were installed in the early 1940s when the communal housing was also created. Young and old are gathered at a standpipe with varying sizes of receptacles to catch a precious drop of potable water, a vital commodity. A teenage girl is seen taking a bath in full sight of public view on the street corner at the same standpipe. In the 1980s and 1990s, this community was a hotbed of violence. This is Federal Gardens – a microcosm of life’s various realities in inner city communities.

Federal Gardens residents converging on a stand pipe on West Road for water. 

Below: A section of the sewer system on West Road that is in dire need of repairs. 

Sonia Whyte, a resident of Federal Gardens for nearly 50 years, Public Relations Officer of the Federal Gardens Community Committee, a member of the Peace and Justice Centre within Federal Gardens and Administrator at the Dispute Resolution Foundation said that as long as she has been living in the community, this has been the way of life. It is almost as if time has stood still with the exception of an increase in the population which has put further pressure on the already inadequate decaying infrastructure.

However, there is a ray of hope gradually bursting forth and spreading throughout the entire community. In the first instance, Ms. Whyte points to December of 2008 when violence erupted between two communities located in Rema and a third community was playing a part in escalating that violence; and it was also during this period, Federal Gardens played mediator. “At the time five persons were killed by the police as the violence threatened to spill over into the Denham Town community. It was at this time that the reality of what was transpiring impacted on the various communities and gave them a wake up call that this is could be happening to each of their communities, not just where the violence had begun”.

This situation illustrated by Ms. Whyte, was the catalyst for community leaders to come together recently, and take a firm stand that, “it cannot be business as usual, we need to pull together and make peace”. And with this landmark occurrence, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s intervention which began in 2006 under the Inner City Basic Services Project (ICBSP) would be further complemented.

Under the ICBSP, a US$29.3 million World Bank funded project, the lives of residents in 12 inner city communities – one of which is Federal Gardens in Kingston, will be enhanced. Already, the Fund has implemented social interventions comprising conflict and mediation services, youth education and recreational activities, family support services, alternative livelihood services and the building of the capacity building based organization to facilitate the implementation of the project.

The completed Federal Gardens Multi-purpose Complex being used by residents. 

In addition, a $50 million multi-purpose centre has been completed and comprise a meeting hall, library, shops, kitchen, office and male and female restrooms. Meanwhile, the rehabilitation of the Eira Schader Golden Age Home will begin shortly. The JSIF will soon be investing another $97.2 million in the community. This will be used to accomplish trench reinstatement for water and sewer lines, minor rehabilitation of some roads, sewage collection and disposal, water supply upgrading and the construction of communal bathroom blocks.

Ms. Valeta Palachie another resident of Federal Gardens has been living in the community for 47 years says she is looking forward to the changes that will soon be coming to the community. She lives in one of the high rise buildings that dot the landscape of this deprived inner city community and revealed that, “right now, sometimes we have no water in the pipes. When we don’t have water, we have to go outside and catch water and sometimes it is very stressing lifting up the water and carrying it up so many stairs”. Ms. Palachie is one of the few persons in the community that has access to indoor plumbing and pointed out that “some people don’t have bathrooms so they bathe on the roadside”. This is despite the fact that they have raised the height of the original wall enclosing the high rise buildings to facilitate make shift showers for those who don’t have shower facilities in their homes.

Many residents of Federal Gardens can be described as rather stoic as they have endured living in a community that has remained unchanged for nearly 70 years. Ms. Palachie noted, “I don’t take it to be on a problem, if better to come then it come”. She nonetheless stated, “I feel good about the projects and looking forward to when they actually start. Hopefully, I will be able to get a work since I’m not working now”.

To date, under the ICBSP 60 persons have been provided with employment within the community and it is envisioned that when the other projects come on stream, another 150 employment opportunities will be created.