Disunity, neglect hurting neighbourhood

THE EDITOR, Sir:

For years, residents in Happy Grove, Red Hills, St Andrew, have tried to organise ourselves as a community, but we always fall victim to disunity from within and neglect from outside.

Years ago, there was a newspaper called The Daily News which we invited to visit us. The newspaper gave us one week of coverage, and in the weeks following that, there was a flurry of activity.

Eventually, the excitement died down and we were left basically on our own again. We tried to keep up but because of lack of training in maintaining an organisation, we fell down again.

The situation is getting worse now, because the community has grown tremendously in terms of population, but there are no social amenities, little infrastructure, and crime is on the rise.

I am afraid that if some social intervention is not done, the community may become another Gravel Heights or Flankers.

It is with this in view that I beg you to give us some exposure in our quest for help.

I am appealing to all non-governmental organisations, agencies, governmental organisations, corporate Jamaica, social services, HEART Trust/NTA and individuals who can assist us to do so.

Lester Simms

Youth and Sports Coordinator

Happy Grove, St Andrew