Helping the Family Home for Children in Arima,Trinidad

Helping the Family Home for Children in Arima,Trinidad  

Over the last 10 years our Rotary Club of Truro has helped the Family Cottage in Trinidad & Tobago.  Most recently funds were transferred through the Rotary Club of Piarco to assist with building materials used in constructing the orphanage kitchen.  Rotarian Lydia Sorflaten and her husband Allan enjoyed a heart warming visit to the Home in Arima on April 27^th, 2011. It being Easter holiday, the children were on school break and Auntie Leris had some of them busy in the kitchen helping with a new business activity for the orphanage. There they were cooking and preparing food to be sold in their new cafe (rented) next door. With this small business they will be able to cover a few their many operating costs and thus become a little more self-reliant.  As well, some of the children are now young teenagers, love helping to prepare the food and will benefit from the job skills they gain from helping out with this venture. 

The Kitchen/Dining Area:  Thanks to the Rotary Club of Piarco the best of appliances were purchased for the kitchen: commercial style cook stove and a super sized stainless steel fridge.  When we last visited there two years ago the kitchen was under construction and the walls and ceiling were  bare concrete block.  Since then we’ve been sent pictures showing Garvin, Auntie Leris’ husband, working on counters and sinks.   The children gave a concert to raise money for windows and doors and the kitchen/dining area is now complete.

The Children:  Currently there are 16 children at the orphanage.  Some are permanently adopted by Garvin and Leris. The others are temporarily placed and may, at some point, return to live with relatives.  The children consider themselves Auntie Leris’ children, not orphans!  The home is a true home to the children and for most of them, the only real home they’ve ever known. 

New Bedrooms Under Construction:  A second floor is being built above the kitchen with new bedrooms/dormitory sized, one for the girls and the other boys. The addition will allow the children to have more room as they are presently crowded into two rather small rooms on the main floor.  

Building a Secure Base for Children’s Lives (Examples):  We are pleased to see that Michael is involved as a helper in the building activities. Michael is one of the little boys we’ve followed over our 10 years involvement with the orphanage since its early days in Tobago. An older girl has returned to the home.  She was abused by her mother and brought to the orphanage as a little girl. Then several years later, her mother appeared, begging to take her child back. So, as a teenager back she went to live with her mother, only to be abused again.  She ran away and eventually ended up once again at the Family Home. It was heart warming to see her make dumplings in the kitchen and then go outside to help with the building construction!   Each child has his/her own story.  One of the children that grew up at the Home is now attending UWI (University of the West Indies).

It is a dynamic environment, moving  forward  with  purpose and helping  many children!