The small farming community of Jackson district in St. Mary has much to celebrate this Christmas season as the two kilometres of road in the district will soon be rehabilitated.

Last week Cabinet approved a $23 million contract to Contract Enterprises Limited, which will undertake rehabilitation of the road in January under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF).

Seventy-year-old Clive Campbell, president of the Jackson District Citizens Association, told The Gleaner that the entire community was celebrating.

"It is one of the most wonderful things that ever happened in our district," he said.

The retired teacher said the road was in a deplorable condition and was one of the main reasons many persons migrated from the community. Mr. Campbell said the district was once a very vibrant farming community.

According to Information Minister, Donald Buchanan, the community is plagued with high levels of unemployment, few skilled persons and regular migration of the more skilled from the community due to prevailing social conditions. Good roads

But Mr. Campbell said things could have been better for the community if the road was in a good condition.

"If the roads were good they (residents) would have commuted, as Ocho Rios, (where most of the residents migrated to) is just 19 miles away," he said.

According to him, only one route taxi currently traverses the district, leaving for Port Maria early in the mornings to take teachers and children to school. The vehicle returns with students who attend the primary and junior school in the district.

Mr. Campbell said it has been a difficult journey to have the road repaired. The works started some two years ago when the association approached the Social Development Commission, which then put them on to JSIF.

"We submitted the project proposal to JSIF in 2004. We waited and waited and checked until last (year) July when we got a letter to say that the project had been approved," he told The Gleaner.

When they finally thought the work would begin, the community was disappointed to hear Cabinet would have to first approve the project.

That approval came last week with Mr. Buchanan making the announcement at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing.