On Saturday, when the final of the men's 100-metre takes place, Davel Mundle and other residents of Quarry, Clarendon, will have to walk four miles to a nearby community to watch the less than 10-second-long race on a friend's television.
If all goes as expected, the final, one of the most anticipated races at the Beijing Olympics in China, should feature world-record holder, Usain Bolt, fellow Jamaican, Asafa Powell and World Champion, Tyson Gay from the United States.
150 housesMundle and several other residents want to see the final, but there is no electricity in their community, which has approximately 150 houses and is located close to eight miles from Frankfield in northwest, Clarendon. So the solution is to take the four mile trek to get to a television set.
"We are interested (in the Games) but we have to walk. Some go a Nine Turns, Effort, Bryan Piece. It all depends on where you have the friend," he said.
It won't be the first time that these residents will have to walk the distance to get to a television set. Mundle, who is 29 years old said that he also watched parts of the Olympics in Athens, Greece and the World Championship in Osaka, Japan at his friend's house.
Battery-powered radioThe alternative to walking this distance is paying a $150 taxi fare to go to Frankfield or staying home and listening to the event on a battery-powered radio.
"Wi haffi listen radio and to do that wi haffi buy battery," said Brown one of the residents, who has decided not to make the walk.
The next best thing to watching or listening the races is hearsay, something which they prefer to avoid. "All things weh a gwaan inna di country a hearsay wi get it by and you know you can't even trust that alone. Wi woulda waan get it fi wiself," Mundle said.
The community's problems extend much further than not being able to watch the Olympics. Even to get a phone charged is a problem. "Everybody have phone, but fi charge it, we have fi send it go far and pay $50 or $100 fi it charge," Mundle said.
He said they have been promised electricity several times, so much so that residents have purchased appliances several times in anticipation of the light, however the refrigerators, television sets and other appliances have since rotted and still there is no electricity.
Residents say the last time they heard they would receive light was four months ago and they are are tired of having to go several miles for simple things such as a piece of ice. They are pleading with their representative to do something about the problem.
Efforts to get a comment from Michael Stern, member of parliament for the area about the situation were unsuccessful as his phone rang unanswered.
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