The Hillside Eco-tourism project, Jamaica
By Paul Andrew Bourne, M.Sc. (pending); B.Sc. (Hons.); Dip. Edu.
Background and Demographic profile
Hillside is a rural community in the inner part of St. Thomas, Jamaica. The community is adjacent to Serge Island Farms and the community of White Hall. The Farm is to the east and White Hall to the peak, north of the district. Hillside is at the base of the famous Blue Mountain Peak range some 42 miles easterly of Kingston, 10 miles westerly of Morant Bay and 5 miles south westerly of Seaforth. The area boasts an extensive forestry of log wood, lush green vegetation, a cool climate because of its valley positioning and three (3) rivers. Of the total rivers within the Hillside community, two (2) are infrequently active and the other is active. The active river is to the left of the community, and it joins the district to the Serge Island Farm. The active river water cascades down the Blue Mountain Range from off the hill, then down a massive slope into a thunderous waterfall. The irony is that the other two (2) rivers are at the beginning of the community with approximately fifty (50) metres separating them both from a backdrop of miles of green vegetation. On the other hand, the inactive rivers are dangerously swift whenever it rains heavy, with one (1) of the two (2) rivers adjacent the Hillside Primary/Infant school and the other its west. Both rivers are to the entrance of the district, and the one adjacent to the school’s premises divides the school from the next river and them both separates the community from the rest of the parish.
Project Choice
The history to the project (the Eco-tourism development) lies in the conceptualization frame of Mr. Luke. He started the project as an individual venture exclusive of the residents of Hillside; and the people became investors after he encountered some problems. Luke knew that assistance would be forthcoming from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) if the project were a community venture and so when he became unable to self finance the programme with other private investors; he opted to incorporate the residents of the district of Hillside. He in-graphed an executive and other parts to a structure as was requested by CIDA in an effort to collect the first payment but still Luke offered little in the form of information to the general public. Increasingly he revealed more to his publics. But, despite the formalization of the residents to the project proposal, the people understood a minute fraction to the venture and even a smaller proportion in respect to the CIDA’s financing. Initially the project was Luke’s and Luke was the project and this explains his dominance over the project and by extension relevant information. What is the demographic profile of the district of Hillside?
The small district of Hillside is the home to three-hundred and seventy-nine (379) people, consisting of two-hundred and thirteen (213) males and one-hundred and sixty-six females (STATIN, 2001) [see Table1.1]. These statistics, therefore, indicate that the total sex ratio is 128 males for every 100 females. This sex composition of the district differs from that of Jamaica’s that is 99 males to every 100 females. The sex ration here means that there are twenty-eight (28) per cent more males than females. Hillside’s total age dependency ratio is 43.8 percent; this constitutes a child-dependency ratio of 34.56 percent and an elderly dependency ratio of 9.23 percent (see Table 1.2). The dependency ratio speaks to the percent of people who rely on the working aged population for existence. Hence an age dependency ratio of 43.8 percent is a clear indication that some to fifty (50) percent of the district’s population are relying on the absolute working age-population.
Some individuals who are part of the working aged population are unemployed. Hence, this situation grossly understates the burden of the actual working aged population. As there are persons within the working aged population who are schoolers, psychologically incapacitated, with child, suffering from illnesses, and some who are unemployable. This further widens the burden on the actively employed. This is a reality that inflicts wounds on the residents of Hillside. The district’s youth population is 21.64 percent and 56.20 percent of the residents have not reached 30 years old. Therefore, the population of Hillside is relatively a young one.
Mr. Jackson, an outstanding and well-off man in the community, who has been living in the district for the past fifty (50) years disagrees with the demographic statistics on the area as published by STATIN. He cites that there are approximately seven hundred residents. He believes that the sex ratio is one-hundred and fifty (150) males to every 100 females with fifty-six (56) percent of the family type being single mother, thirty-four (34) percent nuclear and the remanding grandparents. That position was agreed on by another community member who says it is approximately 650. Other elderly and young residents agree that the total population is “about 600 to 700 people.” Mr. Jackson explains further that, the migration rate for females is higher than that for males and so justifies the high sex ratio. The females leave because of educational opportunities and economic reason whereas the males sit idly by waiting for something to happen.
Table 1.1: Population composition of Hillside
Age Cohort Male Female Total
0 - 4 23 17 40
5 - 9 26 23 49
10 - 14 24 18 42
15 - 19 21 14 35
20 - 24 18 9 27
25 - 29 11 9 20
30 - 34 15 18 33
35 - 39 13 12 25
40 - 44 14 8 22
45 - 49 8 6 14
50 - 54 11 8 19
55 - 59 5 3 8
60 - 64 4 6 10
65 - 69 4 5 9
70 - 74 6 4 10
75 - 79 6 3 9
80 - 84 3 2 5
85 - 89 1 1 2
Total 213 166 379
Source: STATIN (2001: Population Census, 2001)
Table 1.2: Child, Elderly and Total Dependency ratios of Hillside
Particulars
Percentage
Child dependency ratio:
No. of children ( 0-14 yrs) * 100
Working Aged population
34.56
Elderly dependency ratio:
No. of Elderly ( 65+ yrs) * 100
Working Aged population
9.23
Total dependency ratio:
No. of children ( 0-14 yrs) + No. of Elderly ( 65+ yrs) * 100
Working Aged population
43.80
Source: Authors’ compilations from 2001 Jamaica Census
Ms. Bennett a charismatic, medium build black woman says that there are twelve (12) gainfully employed residents of Hillside; with four (4) being teachers, a fireman, a past councilor of Black River, St. Elizabeth, and the remainder work directly or indirectly with Serge Island Farms. Mr. Jackson on the other hand contradicts that viewpoint. He says that approximately seventy (70) persons are gainfully employed, thirty five (35) percent are unemployed (245) and forty-five (45) percent are self-employed subsistent farmers. Ms Bennett further states that none of the gainfully employed residents are younger than twenty five years of age, which speaks to the burden of the unemployed youth. This may explain the reason for the high fertility of the women. The averaged fertility of women of child bearing ages based on the perspective of the resident is four, with a number of relatively young women having a minimum of seven (7) children. In addition to the fertility patterns of the women, more than eighty (80) percent of them have not more than secondary level education. Here the females outnumber the men in the lower level of educational attainment.
Social profile
The serene district of Hillside does not share the same societal issues of Kingston, for example murders, carnal abuse, and rape, but suffers a similar fate like other rural communities in Jamaica, the issue of praedial larceny (i.e. people stealing goats). One resident reports that a man was severely wounded for praedial larceny. He was from the adjacent district of White Hall. Despite the low incidences of crime, there were approximately five (5) deaths. They were mainly due to drowning. The people share a wholesome and healthy relationship that is infectious. Religion is highly held by the citizen. They are warm, frank, highly hospitable and extremely co-operative to say the least. We witnessed gatherings in which the participants spoke freely without hostility. The discussants were sometimes loud but the discourse was wholesome to hear. Friendly rivalry was oftentimes an ingredient but no one labeled, ostracized and “dissed”. In a formal gathering of residents, we witnessed people offering their perspectives on different issues without agreeing and there was respect for the other’s viewpoint.
The residents hold in high esteem a non-native who clearly is financial challenged. In order to comprehend this position, one needs to understand the social-cultural dynamics at work. This gentleman is a past Parish Councilor of a division in another distant, rural parish, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of the West Indies. He is famous, charismatic, influential, motivational, and full of ideas; so much so that the residents bought into his vision for the community. Mr. Luke as we will call him, is chiefly responsible for most of the community’s infrastructure development. This is one of the reasons why the people admire, revere and hold Mr. Luke in high esteem. Despite Mr. Luke’s educational attainment, social standing and sociable personality, the residents are cognizant of his weaknesses but because they conceive that his vision and past solution of some issues of the day, they continue to thrust their cares and belief in him.
Mr. Luke is responsible for the Hillside development project through the CIDA, the formation the Citizens’ Association, the Community Based Organizations and the Non-governmental Organization, the pavement of the road that leads into the district and this offers him a position of credence in the hearts of the residents. This faith in Mr. Luke allows him the full privilege to individually make decisions although there is an executive that oversees the operational management of the project.
Family structure
Family is a crucial component in the socialization of human and system that allows some to understand community dynamics. This district has approximately 56 percent of single-mother household, 34 percent nuclear family type and 10 extended family structure with grandparents being the head of those households. The primary family type contradicts that of the national pattern. Generally the primary family structure in Jamaica is father and mother and so this speaks to “how are conflicts resolved?”
Interpersonal dynamics
Although the district of Hillside (including Spring Village) has significantly more males than females in all age-cohort barring none, the women do not have intimate relations with men therein. A resident reports that, “dem can’t help, so why we should dey wid dem?” and may explain the reason for the freedom of expression in a conversation. This is one of the explanations for the continuous migration to other places, and the large number of children without active and participatory fathers. The men on the other hand still assist the females as often times they are relatives and/or close friends of the family.
Political Ideology, Community Conflicts and Conflict Resolution
Political ideology is a medium of extensive conflict in the Jamaican political landscape but this is not so in Hillside. The people speak openly and stoutly of their political affiliation, and in the process they depend party selection (which party they voted for in the last election) unlike their Kingston counterparts. More than seventy (70) percent of the residents are supporters of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). During the interviewing process, Ms. Wildfire a JLP supporter says that she will always be a Labourite and her good friend a People’s National Party (PNP) stalwart remarks that she was crazy for believing that they (JLP) are any good. Ms. Wildfire ponders an answer then she remarks “I will always be a Labourite.”
The irony to the residents’ neglect is how even JLP led governments forget them in the planning process. Irrespective of their Member of Parliament (MP) selection and the member’s affiliation to the ruling party, the residents continue to support their party despite blatant neglect by a MP. This social reality accompanied by the close knittedness explains the residents’ non-confrontational stance on political grounds. Notwithstanding the JLP’s display of gratitude, Mr. Anthony Hylton (former Member of Parliament for St. Thomas, PNP) is instrumental in guiding them through many aspects of social development.
Social conflicts rarely arise but when they do, the causes are often times frivolous. These arise on the playing ground over games and on occasions young females being mischievous. The resultant issue is always the same. Time heals peoples’ wounds, and the residents of Hillside are no different as their behaviour totally subscribes to this principle.
Leadership
The management of people and resources in an efficient and productive manner is an art that requires competent human resource skills. Those skills are learnt through work experience and-or by educational training. The task of planning, coordinating, organizing, time management and completion of assignment within the construct of the human dynamic element is a difficult responsibility. Some management experts argue that this is a science and not an art. A science requires a particular set of tools.
The community of Hillside, St. Thomas, is awfully short of trained managers. This locale has seven professionals. Of the professional cohort, only one person understands financial management. Although the teachers are among the professional group, they are not in the area of general human resource management and-or financial management. Hence this explains the authority and the reliance that the residents have in Mr. Luke. This again justifies the reasons for Mr. Luke’s involvement in all the community’s activities; and why he is a critical component in the decision-making process.
Although the Community Based Organization (Hill Community Development Committee), the Citizens’ Association, and the Youth Club have other members apart from Mr. Luke, the majority of the decisions, the planning, the organizing, the coordinating and the conceptualization are all his and without him little is done.
Furthermore, the civic associations’ leadership constitutes primarily of the same person at all times. All the executive of those groupings are full time employees, and so whenever they become busy all projects, meeting and decisions are on hold. Within the construct of the structure of the grouping’s executives, there is not one young person therein (people whose ages are less than 24 years). They are, therefore, not learning needed managerial skills that are appropriate for future decision making. There is an irony; a trained engineer who lives in the district is never asked to participate in the decision-making process. The answer lies in that he is a Canadian deportee.
Civil associations/business entities
The community of Hillside is the home of one primary/infant school, three (3) churches and nine shops and/or bars. The school houses less than sixty (60) children. All the attendees at the Hillside primary school are residents of the district. The actual structure of the institution is to house approximately two hundred (200) pupils. It stands perched on a slope overlooking Spring Village and at the entrance to the district of Hillside. The other entrances to the community are river coast, foot entrances and the hilly terrains that are only accessible by feet. Furthermore, the members of the churches are predominately middle-aged and elderly people. The Anglican assembly on the other hand constitutes mostly of young adults. One resident reports that they (active church attendees) have tried to encourage the youth to attend church but this is to no avail.
The one youth club that is in the locale is inactive. A resident argues that is due to leadership at this level and the educational background of the individuals. Despite this situation of non-responsiveness to formal institutions, the youth are seen engage in football and cricket on the playing field. There is no gender (male, female) bias on the play ground as both sexes participate in the same activities. Neither is there age discrimination as we witness a wide age composition at play.
The community based private businesses are relatively small, and the owners are predominately females. Business activities are usually slow but quicken on or after residents who are employed to Serge Island are paid. Although the residents are mostly poor, they congregate to the back of the shops where there is usually a game of domino; and a few men are usually there conversing on different subjects.
Economic profile
The people are mostly self-employed farmers, and so mainly dependent on coffee and other crops for economic survivability. A few of the residents are milk suppliers to Serge Island Farms, and this provides a regular income thereby. But for the most part, the seasonality of the crops see the people in continuous despair. The closures of FIDCO, Serge Island Factory, Goodyear, the Sugar Estate and the Banana Board on the other hand have severely and adversely affected the economic livelihood of most of the residents. Furthermore, with low skills acquisition and educational attainment, many of the residents face lengthy unemployment. Sometimes the people plight various items on the river as a means of economic opportunity. Despite those social realities, the residents are still warm, kind hearted and highly responsive to good graces.
Deforestation
Development is not only harnessing the human component but is also managing the environment, and so we must understand how the residents interact with their physical surrounding. In Jamaica, the issue of deforestation is not a unique phenomenon. Owing to the poverty levels of many residents, people continue to ‘cut down’ trees in the name of economic survivability. Hence, the people of Hillside are not particularly different from residents of any other rural community but the rate of deforestation spells destruction. An elderly resident argues that soil erosion and flooding began after the 1980s.
One resident who is older than seventy years (70+) argues that FIDCO’s wanton and massive deforestation drive in the early 1980s is primarily responsible for the community’s present reality. In the 1980s, FIDCO extensively harvested logwood as part of its business, and this venture was to the north of the district. Because of the catastrophic nature of FIDCO’s initiative, the company offered the residents some compensation. After a few years hence, the project ceases operation. The hillside to the top of Hillside was now open for rains to exploit and that it did. In September of 1988 when hurricane Gilbert struck Jamaica, there was extensive flooding and enormous soil erosion. With the closure of FIDCO, people’s cattle (cows and bulls) now occupy the lands and this is contributing to continuous land slippages and flooding. The residents’ experience with the flooding plague helps to reshape a mindset away from deforestation to the point where many of them are now lowering that practice.
Beneficiaries
Direct and-or indirect
To date, the real beneficiaries of the Hillside eco-tourism project is mainly Mr. Luke. Some employees are still not paid. Despite the number of direct participants and volunteers in the venture (the Hillside eco-tourism project) and few who directly benefited by way of compensation, a number of residents continue to benefits because of commercialization. Shopkeepers, farmers and a grounds man are just people who see the advantages of the project. The actual numbers of shopkeepers are few but Ms. Bling who is in close proximity to the project site recognizes the potential and present benefit of the venture. She argues that the visitor arrivals on a Sunday is normal a good day for operating business. As the non-residents normal buy liqueur and other items from her enterprise. A non-shopkeeper also agrees with Ms. Bling. He says “I am able to sell pineapple and other ground provision when the visitors are here.
Ms. Facey who is another resident did not see the benefit of this project. But during the focus group discussion, when non-resident (neighbouring resident from White Hall) points out the nature of the project, she apologizes for her past stance. Ms. Facey, further, adds that from henceforth she will be in attendance at the Hillside eco-tourism development meetings.
The issue of unemployment and possibility of future employment from the project is consolidating the community around a common cause of ‘wanting’ the venture to succeed. This common bond is forging a social bonding this sees people communicating to their neighbouring the advantages of the project. Furthermore, one resident argues that the project can only employ two (2) persons and this was challenged by another person who corrected him by naming at least eight (8) persons directly. She adds that, direct beneficiaries will then spend with the indirect shopkeepers and farmers who will also spend with other residents from within and outside of the area. Therefore, the situation will have a multiplier effect on spending and economic activities will significantly change the economic and social landscape of the people.
Project Evaluation
The Hillside Eco-Tourism Development Project had a number of objectives that were penned and so we will assess the venture along those criteria. The objectives are as follows: Firstly, “to develop the Hillside reggae part and waterfall facilities as an eco-tourist attraction”, the project in its present form is a natural tourism attraction. In that the water fall cascades down the mountain range and to the peak of the falls is approximately twenty (20) miles of cliff. In addition to the possibility of rock climbing, to the east and west of the falls is hectare of forestry. In the past the Reggae Falls was the home to a hydro-electric plant; and this project can be resuscitated to supply electricity to the district and other areas. If the sub-project were to begin it will add to the quality of the attraction of the falls coupled with the luxuriant green vegetation that lingers in the background.
The project in its present form is regularly visited by influential top executives in Jamaica, school children and their teachers, and boasts a regular site for White Hall residents. These are not the only visitors to the falls as motorcyclists are there on a frequent basis.
Secondly, the project is “to provide ecological education [programmes] for locals and tourists”, this we see is yet to materialize. Despite the rate of deforestation in the district and its direct impact on the soil, the residents realize the destructive nature of deforestation because of the rate of soil erosion, the change in topology with heavy rain and the number of houses lost through flooding but the ecological education programme is yet to be presented to them in order that they will be able to express this to tourists and locals.
Thirdly, the venture is “to establish local enterprises to enhance park activities”, but this is slowing forthcoming because the project is neither completed nor marketed as an attraction. The residents on the other hand recognize the scope and extent of local enterprises if the project were to succeed and are asking for external assistance in the form of managerial assistance.
Fourthly, this venture is “to train CDC members to effectively manage the resource.” The population of Hillside has a number of handicaps that must be resolved before they can enhance the wide range of benefits that the project is capable of providing. With the low level of education of the residents and the present quality human resource skills of the educated class the residents require immediate training. The very executive members of the CDC neither are adequately equipped to effective train other members nor are they endowed with the prerequisite competencies that will make them effectively manage their resources. Despite the educational handicaps of the residents, their willingness to transform themselves is displayed in that they are ready to work in an effort to garner the desired knowledge that will change their present situation.