These youngsters enjoy a game of cricket in the community. - Alicia Forrest photos

Red Ground in St Catherine lies between Old Harbour and Bartons and comprises residents of Wembley Farm, Cocoa Walk, Colbeck Heights and other communities.

One overcast Wednesday afternoon when The Star visited the community, men and women could be seen hanging out near the landmark container located beside the Good Hope Primary School playing dominoes.

A group of youngsters had made their way to the 'sports complex' and were playing cricket.

As the clouds overhead signalled rain, some residents could be heard making plans to catch the precious rainwater, for that is the main problem in the community: no water.

According to Granville Patterson, an elderly resident of the community for more than 30 years, the water situation has existed for years, despite efforts from residents to seek assistance from state agencies.

Currently, the situation is compounded by the lack of a working booster pump, which has been out of service over the past few months. This had led the residents to block the road a few months ago, seeking attention from the relevant authorities. Though a water truck does come to the community to allow residents to buy water, some residents claim that sometimes the truck does not come fully loaded.

The issue is a contentious one for residents because there are some sections of the community that occasionally get water, and there are others who claim that they had never received the commodity.

One resident, Althea Dawson, said: "Mi a 43 now and mi neva get no water."

One young man pointed to another issue: the lack of employment opportunities. There had been a bammy factory located in the community, but that closed down about seven years ago.

Farming in the community had seen some success. According to residents, it was looking up, and every Sunday there would be sessions and workshops with representatives from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority. But that has since declined.

While not being a community at war, crime does happen in Red Ground. According to one resident, this is because there are parents who do not send their children to school.

Yet there is a ray of hope, especially for young persons, with the revival of the youth club. The club has been instrumental in getting young people more involved in the community. For Labour Day, the group painted and cleared sections of the roadside.

They also look forward to really developing the sports complex, so they can start a football league and inspire unity among the residents.

The pump and reservoir station in Red Ground.

Members of the Red Ground Youth Club paint a wall during a Labour Day project. - Contributed