A girl peeps over her home to check if rainwater is being harvested into water barrels.
These blue barrels are called ‘barrel babies’ here in Jamaica. The bright blue containers get shipped to us by loved ones overseas throughout the year. When they arrive, they are filled up with goods - school shoes, books, and pencils for back to school time, or gifts at Christmas time. Once they become empty, they are used to harvest rainwater for domestic use - the primary source of water here in Cacoon.
Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a grandmother overseas, who would send us 5 to 6 barrels a year. In addition to this, my grandmother’s situation meant we were able to purchase a black tank system to harvest rainwater on the roof of our home. A black tank system is a big expense, which only 5 to 6 houses in Cacoon can afford. My grandmother’s decision to live overseas meant we were blessed with more water than we needed over the years, so we have been able to help others in the community with it in times of need.
- Filename
- Harvesting water in blue barrels
- Copyright
- Lensational Photography
- Image Size
- 6000x4000 / 9.4MB
- Contained in galleries
- 'The times when water used to run through Cacoon's pipes' by Khalia Malcolm