Out of darkness cometh light

Four years ago when ‘Point’ won de Nine Mornings Lighting Competition, ah Smile! De following year Point won again, and ah smile again! It was ah Hat-trick last year when dey won foh de third consecutive time, no more smiles, ah Laugh! Now dis year dey did de Beaver Trick, “Four In Ah Row!” Ah neither smile nor laugh, dis time ah Cry! Point Espanol, Owia Point or “Point” is ah lickle village between Sandy Bay and Owia all Garifuna/Carib country.{{more}}

Back in de 1960’s when ah worked in de Carib Country, dey had three families living at Point, ah Nero and two Daniels, Sixty-eight “68” an Ex-Police Officer, dat was his number also his nick-name, and his brother Fr. Daniel, head teacher later turned Anglican Priest, dat’s Gomry’s father. Public utilities did not exist beyond Orange Hill way de Plantation owners lived. De road was ah rugged impassable dirt surface, dey was no Water, Electricity or Telephone. De area above de Dry River, Rabacca or plain Carib Country, was not treated as or considered ah part ah SVG. What was Eye-run-ache back den, is dat in SVG above de same Dry River, we had one ah de largest, if not de largest single coconut field in de world dat kept two oil factories located at Arnos Vale (not in de Carib Country) producing cooking oil and animal feed. SVG also produced Arrowroot starch, de finest in de world, would yuh believe dat de largest Arrowroot cultivation as well as the main Arrowroot factory were located in de Carib Country. Yet poverty stalked de Carib Villages, living conditions were not much different to de days ah slavery, our people literally lived in Darkness!

Politics aside, real things began to happen in de Carib Country only when de Mitchell led NDP Administration took office in1984. Foh de first time dey was pipe-borne water, telephone and dey was Lights! De Orange Hill Estate 4,000 acres was acquired by Mitchell Go-venom-mint, sub-divided and Estate workers became land owners. Monty Roberts could sit back and feel proud foh having served as de Representative of the area during dat period of transformation. Ah overs dey’s ah medical clinic in de area, and ah resident doctor as well. So gradually, slowly but not fast enough, things are happening.

So ah want to big-up Point community foh Winning de 2016 Nine Mornings Lighting Competition “Four in ah Row.” Dey 2016 presentation is remarkable, it is ah story of dey daily lives in ah rural community. Ah overs dat it’s ah community effort and special kudos are in order for Keon Daniel, ah Farmer wid other skills, ah Carpenter, Electrician actually de Lighting Specialist behind de decorations of de lights.

Point would have been one ah de last village on mainland SVG to receive electricity in de late 1980’s. Wid de exception of ah Full Moon, Point would ah bin ah Village in Darkness all dem years, Interestingly the city of Wolverhampton voted de fift worst city on de globe, has as its motto “Out of Darkness cometh Light,” dey’s ah story behind dat, but later foh dat except to say, dat we can all take ah page from our humble Garifuna brothers and sisters in de lickle village of “Owia Point,” and foh 2017 be inspired by dey accomplishment and use as our motto: “out ah darkness cometh lights!” Thank you Point. Let’s all mek “positive production” our New Year Resolution. And wid dat is gone ah gone again

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.