Heritage gives Windsor Lodge kids a helping hand

Seven-year-old Sarah (not her real name) was found at home, all by herself, weeping, and in pain with both of her hands burnt. They were placed in boiling water by her mother as punishment for constantly plucking the hair at the side of her head. In another scenario, neighbours heard regular cries from a house across their street and went to investigate. They found that a four-year-old child was left frequently to care for her 11-month-old baby brother.

These are some of the stories which emanate from the Windsor Lodge Children's Home, nestled in a residential area in Manchester. The residence, which is a private home run by the Salvation Army under the stewardship of Captain Jacqueline Palmer, is a safe haven for children, who have been taken from sexually or physically abusive homes. These are children who, as a result of their negative experiences, have social, behavioural as well as learning challenges.

Heritage Education Funds Inc. in Canada and Heritage Education Funds International, which services the rest of the world, and are organisations which assist families in saving for tertiary education, recently chose Windsor Lodge as the charity they would contribute to while in Jamaica for their annual convention.

Each year, Heritage and their top agents and representatives, along with their spouses, hold a convention to recognise the achievements in helping families financially prepare for post-secondary education. This year's convention was in Ocho Rios and every Heritage attendee was more than willing and came to this year's annual convention bearing gifts of money, brand-new clothing, footwear, toys and other items for children residing at the home.

"We at Heritage are always interested in the welfare of children and we were pleasantly surprised at the clean, spacious and homely environment in which the children were cared for," said Lyndie Headley, agency director of Heritage Education Funds International in Jamaica. "Sometimes we only hear the bad reports about children's home but Windsor Lodge is really exceptional."

The home was established in 1972 and provides a place of safety for 47 children, with ages ranging from three to 18 years. It consists of separate housing for teenagers and young children as well as a school/chapel building. Several of the children attend the school located at the home, whereas others are placed in the public-education system.

The Windsor Lodge's home school, the Windsor Educational Centre, was established to take care of the children facing learning challenges due to various reasons and are unable to keep up with other children in normal public school. The home school is a means of getting children ready to enter the public-school education system with his or her peers. The school has one teacher but there are volunteers, locally and abroad, who help on a daily basis to help with the teaching.

An after-school programme is also in place for teenagers to supplement what they are being taught in school, provide extra attention in weak areas as well as provide help with homework.

"The teenagers in the home are doing well. The majority of the females are involved in HEART courses and one of our teenage boys, André Poyser, is in his final year at Munro College and will be going to university this year. The home is currently in the process of completing the Windsor Lodge Baby Land, which will allow us to facilitate children from birth," said Palmer.

Skills centre

A project that the home is trying to implement is a skills training centre to provide teenagers with skills that will complement their high-school education and provide them with a more practical approach to learning. Majority of the children in the home, for one reason or another, enter the education system at a late age and, because of this, suffer from challenges with learning. This programme will give them more options when they enter the workforce.

The courses which will be offered include clothing and textiles, baking, cosmetology and mechanics, and will be taught by volunteers.

In thanking Heritage for its generous gift, Palmer said although the Government assists with the care of the children, the home heavily depends on sponsors to maintain and manage its day-to-day operations to effectively meet the needs of the children.

For more information about Heritage Education Funds International, visit www.heritageesp.com or call (876) 968-1601.

For more information about Windsor Lodge and how you can help, please call (876) 963-4222.

The teenagers in the home are doing well. The majority of the females are involved in HEART courses and one of our teenage boys, André Poyser, is in his final year at Munro College and will be going to university this year. The home is currently in the process of completing the Windsor Lodge Baby Land, which will allow us to facilitate children from birth - Palmer.