﻿Rasta Living

“Camo” the Rasta man has been living on the side of the street right down my family’s house in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, for as long as I can remember.

Seeing him walk down the street everyday, wearing his yellow shirt and khaki shorts, became the norm for me. However, one day I decided to stop by and talk to him for a while.

He showed me around his whole setup and elaborated on what he does on a day-to-day basis.

Being a Rastafarian, he is a vegetarian, or as Camo says it, “I don’t eat anything with eyes.” All of the food he eats is made from scratch, right down to the coconut oil. I had the privilege of seeing the process of it being made.

“You need to find from de wild…ya know…naturally,” Camo said.

Camo also makes his own juices that he sells to people for the little income he receives. These juices are believed to cure terminal illnesses such as cancer, liver disease, heart problems and much more.

Rastafarians believe in the Judeo-Christian God, and their beliefs are based on Judaism and Christianity. Rastafarians do not believe in the afterlife, and view Africa as a Heaven on Earth.

An important Rastafarian concept is “I and I,” which is instead of “you and I.” This puts emphasis on the oneness between humanity and God, as well as the equality of all human beings.

Camo believes in the simplicity of life, being attached to no material items. He holds money to of little value, enjoying the natural way of living and becoming one with the Earth, using its natural and renewable resources.