WINFIELD “CORPORAL” HINDS is proof that one man can make a difference as he has inspired a small group of socially concerned residents to beautify a bushy, wooded area in Black Bess, St Peter.
The 72-year-old former employee of the Ministry of Transport and Works saw a glaring need in his community and took it upon himself to do something about it.
“Instead of walking around and doing nothing, I decided to clean the woods next to my house,”he said. “It looked like a forest and people keep saying it want cleaning but didn’t do anything.”
Hinds started his project in July last year. He said the area was so bad that part of it used to overhang the road, creating a potential hazard.
“That bush used to hang in the road so buses would have to stop if traffic was coming the other side but not anymore,”he said. “I had to deal with trees, vines, ants, centipedes and rats and the trees and bush so thick you couldn’t even pass through but I was not afraid; I took my cutlass, fork, hoe, rake, pan cart and get to work.”
Hinds is no stranger to community clean-ups as he used to help keep another area across from his house clean until the owners took it back over. His new project was even more taxing, however, especially as he was alone.
“I want to encourage people to come out and help or donate equipment. Since the clean-up I have not seen a lot of rats. It is a worthwhile cause for the community,” he said.
This was where Angela “Patsy” Lavine and her family stepped in. Realising Hinds was going missing during the day, she made some enquiries.
“A fella tell me Winfield was cleaning out the woods. I didn’t know because it so thick you couldn’t see him so I went to see for myself. If you could see the woods, it was so bushy and the trees were hanging over the road but I figured it would make a good park so I told my cousin Pamela Lavine and Wendell Benn and they came to help. Then my mother, sister and sons also joined,” she said.
Lavine said her family made a concentrated effort to help and together they had started to turn the area around but there was still a way to go.
“I would like it if more people can join in but they only want to see the place clean but not do the work,” she said. “I want Black Bess to have a big nice park for anyone to relax in or have a picnic but it wants a lot of work so we need a lot of help. I think it is a very good idea because every community should be clean,” she said.
As it is, Lavine said they worked in the woods “three or four times a week in the mornings and sometimes evenings if we home and the rain doesn’t fall”, and while they have done good work, more help would be beneficial.
Her cousin Pamela agreed. “The only thing that bothers me is the other people who don’t help,” she said. “There’s only about six or seven of us doing anything and people only saying it look good but don’t come to help. If more come out, it would go faster.”
As for her motivation, she said she loved the idea of beautifying her community.
“It was bare bush and had almost half the road take up so we just trying to beautify. My cousin Angela told me about it and it sounded interesting. I think it was a good thing for the community and it is no problem to go there for two hours or so on a morning. If you love it and it is worthwhile, do it,” she said.
As for Hinds, he said he was grateful for the Lavine family’s support but, with the rains coming down the bush was rapidly coming back, so even more help was needed if they were to keep the area beautiful.
carlosatwell@nationnews.com
