ST ANN’S BAY, St Ann:
Treading through villages and towns of St Ann as local tourists is bound to evoke memories of a Jamaica long past, while at the same time could serve to encourage folks currently involved in economic activities in these communities.
So, come Friday, November 4 and then again next Friday, the 11th, the St Ann Community Trod will happen.
Organised by the Social Development Commission (SDC), Friday’s tour by bus, will leave Runaway Bay at 8:00 in the morning, travel to and through Discovery Bay, Watt Town, Cave Valley and then return to Sturge Town for lunch and sample displays. Already, with the important tag of one of Jamaica’s first free villages, Sturge Town, now has economic activities to show off, including the Mali bottled water.
On November 11, the tour will include Lime Tree Garden, Nine Miles and Moneague.
Deirdre Pryce, parish administrator for the SDC is excited about the tour and is encouraging persons to sign up and be part of the event. For $2,500, persons will travel on the bus and be served lunch. But the fun is up to them.
EVOLVED
Pryce, who is also chairman of the St Ann Inter-agency Network for Transforming Social Services (SAINTSS), told Rural Xpress that St Ann Community Trod evolved over time based on activities shared among the communities.
“There will be a village setting at each venue, for example, at Lime Tree Garden, Watt Town and other communities they will set up exhibits to show what each community is doing,” Pryce explained.
“At Sturge Town, there will be a mini Back-A-Yard, we will talk about the history, talk about the Mali water project and other stuff. We will have lunch at Sturge Town and also be treated to product samples.”
In terms of the economic activities of the communities, which the Community Trod also is seeking to highlight, tourists will get the chance to see projects including the processing of ginger, curry, tin callaloo, pumpkin juice, sweet potato juice, peanut punch. It is the aim to make these projects viable.
“The tours are open to anybody who wants to come along,” Pryce said. It’s an opportunity to really enjoy St Ann in a different manner.
The tours are endorsed by the Tourism Product Development Company and the Ocho Rios Resort Board.
