Why so many are choosing to call it home

MORE than 100 years ago, the community of Three Friends was a modest bauxite mine. In those years, the community was home to very few and was reminiscent of a ghost town, as bauxite mining had reached its pinnacle and then began to decline. The village had very few people to call it home and was more mine than house. In recent times, however, the village has seen unprecedented growth. As the village continues to evolve and change in various ways, more people are finding their way into the community. Today, the village of Three Friends boasts a population of more than four hundred people. This is a big step for a community that was once no more than a stop along the mines.

The Pepperpot Magazine sought to investigate the reasons behind the community’s recent significant growth. The population growth can be felt most at the community level, with more people noticing new neighbours and community businesses gaining more customers. But nowhere is it felt more than by the members of the community who seem to know everyone, such as Rashana Lorrimer. Rashana is one of the village’s community health workers and is the nurse in charge at the Three Friends health outpost. She was also born and bred in the community.

Throughout her years growing up in the community, Rashana’s love for her village was ignited by the people who surrounded her. Today, she has taken up the mantle as head of her community’s health services. Meeting hundreds of people every week, very few people see and feel the growth in population as much as Rashana and her colleagues. The influx of people is among the biggest changes in the community, according to Rashana.

As she explained, “Since I grew up in Three Friends, the place has changed a lot. Mostly, the population has risen since I was younger, and more houses and more people from the outskirts come into this area and they build, they make life. So, I would say from then to now, the population has risen, people have come in, the community has changed.”

Community development projects are countless in Three Friends. Works are currently taking place on the village’s infrastructure, with an emphasis on agriculture and soon tourism in the area. These are just a few reasons why people are venturing into the mining community. Another reason they may want to call it home is simply its serenity that goes beyond nature but the hospitality that resides within the community’s people. According to Rashana, people are drawn to the peace the community offers. As she stated, “A lot of people have come into the community because of the place being quiet and the people in the village are very nice, and it’s a very nice area, I would say.”

Nurse Rashana is a well-known name throughout the community of Three Friends. Growing up in the village, Rashana was always a community advocate, but it was not until she returned to the community that she sought to fill the role she currently holds today. As she explains, “Well, after I wrote CXC, I was looking for a job and I worked at Qualfon. But I was not really comfortable there and then I came back to the community because I was out of town. I came back to the community, and the people there said they wanted their own health worker because nobody from the village was working here.”

Coming back to Three Friends and struggling to find work, the job at the health post was just as important to her as it was to the community. As Rashana stated, “One person was working here, but she retired. So, when the village came together, the outreach worker made me our community health worker. So, that is how I made this position for me.” Although she was not in search of the position, she is happy that she found it and considers it her calling today. As she stated, “I am very happy with the position. So, my work basically here is immunisation, outpatient, and chronic disease. I like that. Primary health care.”

As a nurse in Three Friends, Rashana plays an integral role in the health and well-being of the community. Especially considering that she and her team are the only healthcare providers in several villages. Describing her work, Rashana stated, “Well, my normal day as a nurse, I come into work. Most days, every fourth Thursday of the month, we immunise children. In the clinic, they are vaccinated. So, that day really, I just be very busy. That day, I would call myself a nurse. Very hardworking. I would say.”

The Three Friends health post facilitates more than five hundred people, says Rashana, including babies, the elderly, and those who may venture from surrounding communities. With the rise in population and improvements in the community, Rashana believes that more people will continue to flock to Three Friends. As she stated, “I would say my community or our community is a good place to live. Because of the atmosphere, I would say. I find it comfortable to be here.” Regardless of the changes and challenges, Rashana is adamant that she will continue serving her community wholeheartedly, stating, “I feel very proud that I grew up in this community and I’m serving the community. And I want to serve them more.”