Rockfort is Feared but Needs Development!

I worked in Rockfort with residents for more that two years, as part of my work on economic and social rights (ESR), and believe me it was a very tense environment.

My initial workshop with residents was attended by approximately 30 persons and was held at a public venue, a basic school sitting at the foot of Waricka Hill. My follow-up workshop was only attended by 6, half of whom traveled from outside of the community from their temporary places of rescue because of what was then a new round of violence and death in the community. At the workshops residents expressed haunting fear and frustration with living their lives in containment or continuous chaos on account of violence. By the time of our third workshop, we were hosting the session in the living room of a resident, which was attended by 20 persons.

Basic School in Rockfort sits at the foot of Waricka Hill

I tried to extend the intervention in Rockfort beyond the youth club, which we originally targeted, but subsequent to my offer to the Rockfort Development Council (RDC) we felt they needed to do more work on community mobilization. The Social and Economic Justice (SEJ) Project was presented as an intervention aiming at contributing to the empowerment of residents to claim their rights at different levels, but the Council articulated a need for us to use the Project for community mobilization by adapting it for skits and plays. Though I felt that that the use of human rights content in plays was a good idea, especially for community mobilization, I had to agree when my core Project stakeholders objected to the idea, on the basis of: lack of resources, absence of previous planning, and its deviation from our original intention. This contributed to the discontinuation of my work in the community, especially because we had exceeded the time that we had agreed on to execute the intervention.

In the more than two years that I spent in the community, I really forged some great friendships, especially with some wonderful young men who protected me throughout my service there. We are still in touch and we plan on having a face-to-face discussion to talk about and record their experiences as male youth growing-up and raising families in Rockfort.

Homes and Waricka Hill in Rockfort

Rockfort Community (Water) Tank and the dreaded Waricka Hill

In this video, we heard accusations from the Police that there is a lack of will by the political representatives to control their area. From my conversations with friends, I understand that the problem is truly one of infighting. It’s like implosion. Residents say that all that’s needed to put things in order is for the Member of Parliament (MP) to show up and straighten things out, as all the ‘warriors’ respect him. They also said that his absence from the community has been long and progressive, which they profess is a frightening situation, especially knowing that he is a son of Rockfort. They lament that his nativity should stimulate him to care more than the average MP, but they say that his absence shows that he is no more sympathetic.

Rockfort- in view of Waricka Hill, water tank, and food stall

As a I toured the community, I was shown bullet holes, burnt homes, abandoned buildings and homes, the football field, the spring, and the infamous Waricka Hill, which was dreaded by residents because they say that it serves as a key access point for ‘warriors’ entering and leaving the community. We witnessed abandonment, unemployment, hopelessness, fear, and of course there was some glimmer of hope in the faces of little children playing on one street/lane. There is need for infrastructural development, education and skills training, sports development, and multi-sectoral support and attention.

[polldaddy poll=1008320]

The Police in charge of the Area and ACP John McLean, head of the Community Policing Department informed me, in an advocacy meeting with them and community representatives, that they are ready and willing to support community development interventions such as ours–the SEJ Project of Jamaicans for Justice. They and residents who participated in our Project endorsed the need for community development in light of the needs expressed above, but for the time being Rockfort’s residents will have to go from door to door and seek broad-based support for unity and an end to violence, before the social development agencies will feel comfortable enough to want to be there to assist with development and growth.