Hernel is from the rural community of Fort George, in St. Ann, Jamaica. At 14 years old Hernel left school to begin farming to support his family. “Everything I have achieved in this life has been through farming.”, he says. “I grow everything, cabbage, lettuce, pumpkin, yam, cucumber, bok choy, you name it, I grow it”.
There is no running water in the community of Fort George, so residents put barrels under their roofs to catch water to bathe, cook, and clean. This past year Fort George experienced 6 months of drought from January through the rainy season. Hernel says there are springs but with the drought the water is limited.
“Farming is a gamble, sometimes you make a little money, and sometimes you lose everything. And just because you lose, the game doesn’t change, you go back and try to win the next time around,” he says. Hernel’s positive attitude is contagious, which brings a smile to everyone he meets.
Cornerstone Collaborative aims to help Hernel succeed by purchasing and installing a water tank and catchment for his farm.