Riquel (left) and Theresa. - Photo by Carl Gilchrist

In today's society it is quite the norm for young women to be preoccupied with pursuits that reflect their self-interest and maybe that of family members or close friends.

But for two bright young ladies from Petersfield in Westmoreland, serving their community has become the norm.

Twenty-one-year-old Theresa Johnson, who works as a pre-trained teacher at a basic school and who wants to pursue a career in teaching, and 19-year-old Riquel Riddle, who says she plans to be a corporate lawyer, have taken on the responsibility of community spokespersons for the Association of Clubs (AOC), an organisation made up of seven community-based groups in Westmoreland.

On Thursday, May 21, at the second regional consultation on the development of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) National Energy Project, the two journeyed from Westmoreland to Ocho Rios to let their voices be heard on behalf of their communities.

Ideas on alternative energy

They came with ideas on how communities may produce and use alternative sources of energy.

"The idea we came with is that of producing hydroelectricity from the Roaring River in the Petersfield area which we believe can be a good source of electricity supply," Riddle told The Gleaner.

And according to Johnson, an aqueduct that was used by a factory at Shrewsbury around 70 years ago to generate electricity for its operation has remained idle since the sugar company came into being.

"Since the sugar company came into existence about 1938, the aqueduct hasn't been used, so we think it's a good project. It only needs to be refurbished and we can use it to supply energy again that would be more reliable and efficient," Johnson argued.

Johnson became active in community work six years ago and is currently the secretary of the Petersfield Sports and Community Club, which is a member of the AOC.

"Because of this, I am used to this sort of thing, going to workshops, representing my community and I understand the importance of energy and all that. If we use this form of energy (hydro), we could save money."

Community service necessary

For Riddle, community service is a necessity, as she questioned what would happen without communities coming together to develop themselves.

"The Government won't do everything for our community, so we have to do it ourselves because most of the MPs they don't really know what's going on inside the community. Thus, we have to build our communities."

She argued that using alternative sources of energy, such as biofuel, solar energy and wind energy, is the best way forward for communities and, hence, Jamaica.

But while they came with their ideas, they were also open to ideas from fellow participants.

"We have learnt so much here," Riddle said. "Now we know many other sources of energy and the fact that we can combine wind and solar energy which would be a viable project for our community."

The consultations are geared at designing a national project to address the issues of energy conservation and alternative energy solutions for Jamaica.

The project is funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica and is chaired by the Association of Development Agencies.