Empress Sharon Kelly-Stair displays one of her knitted bags at Bobo Hill in Bull Bay, St. Andrew. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
SIMPASA SAYS in her relatives and friends' eyes she was living a successful life. She had a car, house and lived in a "comfortable" apartment. "But that system of X is death and destruction for life," says Simpasa. "Living in a world where I was working 9 to 5 and dying in the process."
The comparison Simpasa gives between the life she led and the one she now has she says she is now living while before she was dead. "I was created in Ethiopia (and) brought up in an opposite system that does not sustain life. An Ethiopian woman should not live like any other nation. Certainly not like European. Living someone else's reality (one cannot be happy) can only live in your own reality," notes Simpasa. She says that the black man should know self then life of prosperity will follow or else the black man will lose his own reality. "Now I live and do the will of the father. I try with all my might to keep his principles and encourage others to do so that they might live. It's about life the livity of life."
She says Honourable Priest Charles Edward formed the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC) and it was an excellent move as the congress rescues the black woman out of hell. She has been mostly at Bobo Hill travelling back and forth from Whitehouse. Since 2005, she has not left the camp since April 20, the anniversary celebration of Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica.
HONOURABLE PRIEST GENTLE EDWARDS
Edwards, 35, was a security guard and a licensed firearm holder with United Protection Security Company for seven years. His role was protection of property and individual within the company. Before this, for three years, he was a backhoe operator for a construction firm in Kingston.
He was also accomplishing for himself, having owned a house in Bottom Linston, St. Mary. Now Edwards has traded security for tailoring, a skill he learnt from his parents. At Bobo Hill he makes drapes, sheets and pants.
In 2000 Edwards made a decision and moved to Bobo Hill. He said five years ago his spiritual calling started to seek for something that he couldn't find or at the time explain. He was experiencing feeling that he couldn't explain so he started seeking for answers. "Seeking for fulfilment whether it's a house, job or car and when I get it I assume this is what I need and when I do I realise I still is not happy. So I keep seeking," he says. Edwards approached persons from different spiritual background but was neglected, also by a Christian, whom he says that he thought would be able to give him clearance if there is a true and living God and assists him in understanding what he was experiencing. "No one could give me a clearance and have I heart at ease and I decided that I will not be left alone to hell."
His fulfilment, however, came. While watching a cable channel he saw a feature about Bobo Hill. He says he saw Empress Sharon Kelly-Stair and other members relaying their story about the camp. Before seeing this feature Edwards had only heard of this foundation but by watching the feature he became fascinated by these "strange people" he saw on the channel. "Just know a different fruit has it as a strange look - different from that of the world," says Edwards. He says his curiosity sent him seeking for the camp. "I ride from Portmore (St. Catherine where I lived and worked) to Bobo Hill on (a) bicycle." There he spent about two to three days before he left for work. Edwards returned to work wanting to keep his job while honouring the Sabbath. However, he says when he asked his supervisor if he could keep his Sabbath by not working on the seventh day he was only told by the supervisor that the arrangement is not possible. Edwards says he resigned the following day after speaking with his supervisor and returned to Bobo Hill.
"Here, we see all things put in place at one (unity). Moving self away from what has been put up on you." A few of the satisfactions Edwards notes he received from the Bobo Hill family come from Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments. Others he says are from the Holy Book - The Bible - as he gets a more clearance (understanding) of self and life while living in unity on Bobo Hill.
"Heart clean and will see righteousness. Righteousness found in 1 John 4, 'love of God'. Love brothers to be a part of God. Salvation so deep one don't have to pay." He says all this can be found in Deuteronomy in the Bible.
"I seek clearance and now I am comfortable with it."
THE BEGINNING OF BOBO HILL
EABIC foundation was put in place to the public on March 1, 1958. However, the work for the congress began back in 1948 by Charles Edward, a Rastafarian, now Honourable Priest of the congress.
In the first setting, Honourable Priest Charles Edward gathered 3,000 students (persons) at the foundation at 54b Spanish Town Road, Kingston in 1958. The congress in the following years was settled at about four different locations. Having been at Rose Town, Trench Town known as Galilee; Waterhouse; Sunlight Street; and Davis Lane in Kingston.
However, between 1971 and 1972 the congress moved to Bull Bay, St. Andrew. First the camp settled on the seaside of Bull Bay, but later removed to the north up into the hills, one mile off the main road. Honourable Priest Bobby (Burnell Adolphus McDonald) says that Marcus Garvey prophesied that in order for them to be leaders they should be on the hill from the top.
Currently there are 230 persons living at Bobo Hill, and approximately 1,000 persons locally and internationally who come and go with priests living and holding congresses in Ghana and Costa Rica.
Members of the Bobo Hill community do not pay property taxes, while they have an electric plant that generates their electricity, and they receive water from a nearby dam and from the Chalky River.
Part 1 of this story appeared in the Lifestyle section of yesterday's issue. Tuesday August 2, 2005
