By Shaniya Harding

FOR many people, a trip to a beach is a day out with their family. But for Julia Effienna a trip to the beach is a walk in her own backyard. Julia, or Miss Daw, as she is known by most of her neighbours, is a woman with an extraordinary story of strength, courage and, above all else, faith.

The bright and active 79-year-old woman has lived in the village of Coomacka all her life. She was born in the village and after leaving for a while due to her father’s work, she returned as a child and has yet to leave the village she calls home.

Julia is today a prominent pillar in her community. But she has become so well-known due to one simple fact about her and the children she’s had. Julia gave birth to a whopping 24 children throughout her life, 19 of whom are still alive today.

In November of this year, Julia will be 80 years old. Today, as a mother of so many, she has lost count of her grandchildren but knows she has a few great-grandchildren and even a few great-great-grandchildren. She has seen a lot in all her years and has been the first to do many things in her community.

Julia was among the first batch of students at Coomacka’s school and the first to get married at just sixteen. It was such a big occasion that she was given the school to have her wedding, “I got married at the Coomacka school. My wedding was kept at the school as the first student to get married from the school,” Julia stated.

Although she does not remember everything about her youth, she does recall that it was a happy time. As she stated, “It was a cool and quiet community and still is up to now.” She went on to describe how neighbours would care and look out for each other—blurring the lines between friends and families.

Providing for a family of 19 was at no point in time an easy task, but Julia coped with it the best way she knew how as she described an almost unbelievably serene existence, one in which she and her husband worked but also farmed and fished for their survival.

Bauxite mining played a big role in Julia’s life as well. Her husband worked in the Coomacka mines. Julia reminisced on what Coomacka once looked like with trains running through the village loaded with bauxite. “There was a cart that used to carry up my husband’s lunch in the midday hours. People would come and get them and take it into the mines for them,” she said.

For many years, Julia and her husband lived a happy life until he left the family when her youngest was still in school. During that time, Julia was living in a whirlwind where she still doesn’t know how she made it out.

The people’s self-sustainability cannot be overstated. How Julia, her family and others of her time were able to survive is truly remarkable. As Julia stated, one of the reasons she made it was due to her ability to farm, as she said, “If we were hungry, you would go and throw a line. You must get a fish or go feel around in your garden for some eddo or something.”

Today, Julia’s hard work has not gone in vain. She no longer works but is well taken care of by her children. Julia oftentimes visits Georgetown when she feels the need to. And still at her age, she is adamant about her independence, as she stated, “I went to Georgetown about four months ago. And when I want a vacation, nobody could stop me.”

Julia still exercises every day by a little stroll through her village. She placed great emphasis on her health, as she would like to live to a hundred years old. Julia says she doesn’t know why she would live to a hundred years old but just wants to. But for a woman who has achieved so many other milestones, what’s a hundred years old?

When asked about what her secret was to get strength, resilience and long life, Julia stated that perhaps it was just the fact that she did well and just kept going. To lead a life like Julia has requires a strong human spirit.

Today, Julia’s life is a quiet and happy one. Having lived a life and having children to be proud of, she does very little daily. But her family is what makes every day worthwhile as Julia stated, “My family makes me feel good. Even if I have sorrows, l look at them and I feel happy.”

When asked if she believes life was simpler, harder or just the same as it once was, she said it wasn’t any, as she stated, “Life was according to how you make it, just like now.”