KINGSTON, Jamaica — The iconic Holland Bamboo, in St Elizabeth, once a lush covering of bamboo trees which intersect over the road, now shows signs of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Kemar Kennedy, a peanut and jelly coconut vendor, who has worked at his stall in Holland Bamboo for three years, says recovery of the area is important and very personal.

Kennedy shares with JIS News during a visit to the popular spot last Friday that he began working in Holland Bamboo after his mother passed away in 2023, and he relocated to Lacovia when he met a woman from the area.

He initially sought employment through his various skills, including construction work, but soon realised that he wanted to be self-employed.

“I have my trades and can cook but I just felt like it was time for me to stop working for people and try something for myself,” Kennedy says.

His business grew, becoming a well-known spot for cold jelly coconuts, and was easy to recognise due to the red, gold and green paint that adorned the wooden structure.

But, on October 28,  Hurricane Melissa destroyed his place of employment, and significantly damaged his home.

“It is not like the house damage completely where we can’t go in there. We can still stay in the house, but water came in because the river came down at the back and flood out the place and everything, but otherwise from that we did good. Not even one zinc never blow off the house top,” he recalls.

As for his stall, he says it was destroyed.

“I had one of the prettiest stalls in here. This is where all the Tiktokers came, and from the storm I put up back this little thing, but I have no vibes to pretty up back the place,” he says, gesturing to the temporary set-up from which he hung peanuts and displayed coconuts to the side.

Kennedy shares, however, that some of his customers have encouraged him to rebuild and repaint as they cannot find his stall when passing through Holland Bamboo, and his signature colours would make it easier to identify him.

He is also finding more encouragement to rebuild as the surviving bamboo trees are beginning to bend and young trees are starting to grow.

“The bamboos are bending back; it is just for them to come back over the road now. Some survived the storm, but we see some young bamboo shooting up all over the place, so you know life is here still. And from you have life you have everything,” he reasons.

With this encouragement, Kennedy says he needs three sheets of plywood to rebuild his stall, and a small fridge to start selling his cold jelly coconuts again.

“I would want somebody donate about three sheets of ply board right now, that would be good for me to build up back the stall and pray for the bamboos [to grow up and cover again] so I can take down [the cloth there] so people can see inside the shop,” he outlines.

As Kennedy looks to the future, the vendor reflects on the lessons of Hurricane Melissa.

“Everybody has to be grateful that we have life, and we can start back from scratch if that is the case and we just live and live like one and just know that unity runs the place,” he argues.

– JIS