Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 20, 2016 (SKNIS): In keeping with the St. Christopher Children’s Home’s efforts to provide a safe haven for children, the community at large is encouraged to lend a helping hand.
Administrator, Margaret Stevens, said that the Home is seeking committed volunteers skilled in math and other subject areas, such as English and all the sciences, including biology, chemistry and physics.
On a recent edition of “Working for You,” Mrs. Stevens stated that the Home aims at equipping the children with skills “to survive on their own so that they don’t go back into the situation which they have been taken from.” “We want them to be well rounded individuals.”
The Administrator added that they should also be well rounded in other areas that will help them be productive in life.
“That’s why we give them chores to do and teach them different things because we want them to have the necessary skills that make them complete,” she said. “The same way I raised my own daughter, I think that everyone at the Children’s Home should have that. We want them to have the same experiences, that overwhelming sense of achievement, especially when they cook for 15 people.”
Mrs. Stevens said that the Home wants the community to come in and help them achieve their goals of raising productive individuals.
“I think that if you’re in the Children’s Home and you’re reaching these goals, when you enter into the world, there is nothing you can’t do,” said Mrs. Stevens. “I really believe that and I want them to believe it for themselves and I think that the community of St. Kitts and Nevis can empower these children and at the end of the day not just my children, every child in the Federation should have that feeling. Every parent that is struggling with his/her children should be able to reach into the community to get that power for his/her child.”
The community is also being encouraged to be more accepting of the children.
“One of the things I want to point out is that, I don’t want the community or the children at large to think that these are bad children and that they are there because of something that they have done. It’s quite the opposite,” said Maia Hadi-Williams, Public Relations/Media person for the Home.
Vice chair, Naeemah Hazelle, added that the children are sometimes bullied and what the Home is trying to do is create a standard where children cannot be differentiated.
“You don’t know nowadays the children that are in the Children’s Home,” said Ms. Hazelle. “It’s just a different environment. We want to encourage persons to be more accepting as they are there for their own protection. We want to show them that there are adults that they can trust and who want to help them because they have had a lot of adults who have betrayed them. This will help them get through some of the trauma that they have been through.”
Mrs. Steven said that persons can also help by volunteering to help build, garden and maintain the home.
“Whatever your skills or talents are bring them to the home because whatever you have, we may need them,” said Mrs. Stevens. “Come if you do a little construction or a little maintenance. Having a home with 15 children, there is always something to fix.”
