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Residents in the farming community of Lambs River, Westmoreland, are reporting that they are suffering from a brain drain, limited infrastructural development and lack of potable water.

Karen Rose-Clarke, an educator who was born, raised and has remained in the community, has observed the lack of development over the years.

Rose-Clarke said that she is not sure what will become of the community in the future because of the rapid migration of talent in search of work.

"This community is a brain-drain community, that is how I see it. I was born and grew up here. Most of the people who have their education are forced to leave the community to find employment in Negril or in Montego Bay," Rose-Clarke told WESTERN STAR.

She adds that most of the students from the early childhood through to the tertiary level are among those who have opted to leave the community, some on their own in search of what they deemed as a better education and others along with the parents and guardians who are seeking a better way of life than what exist in Lambs River.

"Those who have opted to or [been] forced to remain in the community, especially the young men, have since turned to farming, where they have been tilling the soil, planting mainly pineapples," Rose-Clarke noted. "When our young people find jobs, for example in Montego Bay in the call centres, they don't come back. They normally rent a room, or stay with friend and family closer to their workplace, and for the most part, they don't return to the community."

BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE

Meanwhile, Pastor Rayon Smikle of the River Oaks Assemblies of God, lamenting the need for infrastructural developmenting including affordable housing and a steady flow of potable water.

"The Lambs River community is a good place to live, it is one that has a lot of young people. The people, in general, love church, but there is not much going on for them as it relates to work," Smikle said. "We don't have a housing scheme here, but I believe if one is developed, it would help to lift the morale and increase self-esteem among the people living here. Housing development will increase economic opportunities. Right now, the shops in the community are barely able to stay open," he said.

Residents are also up in arms with the National Water Commission and their political representatives, as they are not able to access the commodity in their pipes. Others complain of getting high bills, despite getting no water.

"I am living here now in Lambs River for two years and I can only recall seeing water in the pipes on two occasions. So you can understand the difficulty we are having, coupled with the expenses we have to deal with because we have to purchase water or rely on rainfall to ensure that our basic domestic chores can be addressed," Smikle added.