H is for happiness to carry you through the year. Here, a student of the Undergrad School happily attend to the needs of some youngsters
Avia Ustanny and Janet Silvera, Freelance Writers
BEYOND THE frenzy, past the consumerism and amid the glitter of tinsel-strewn expectations, Christmas still has the power to bring out the best through the celebration of sharing, caring, good tidings and great joy. Note the beeline made by many individuals and organisations to children's homes to treat the minors who are always in need.
But, those who delight in heaping treats and presents on children who are less fortunate during the Christmas season may want to pause and think about it before they indulge in the knee-jerk gesture this season.
Are the children really receiving what they need? Could the wrong message be sent by the deluge of presents that some homes receive at this time? The managers of several institutions where minors receive care gave their opinion on the matter in Outlook this week.
Some, like Roxiline Morrison-Spence, superintendent of Maxfield Park Children's Home believe that though the intention may be good, undirected charity may actually miss the mark of helping needy kids.
At the home where 187 children have been provided with a roof over their heads, Christmas treats are an annual event. Clothes, shoes and toys are regularly handed out for the youngsters aged 0 to 18. What difference is this annual practice making in their lives?
Says Mrs Morrison-Spence, "Jamaicans are kind-hearted, so a lot of them will provide the treats at Christmas, there is a lot of cleaning up, and the children are treated to clothes and shoes. Some donors do treats and they (the children) are fed. From the perceptive of the children, it would be lovely if this were extended into the New Year up to March. This period is really 'tamarind' season for the home. Donations are non-existent then."
To only be remembered only once a year is a kindness with cruelty, it appears. Thankfully, not everyone does this. There are some individuals and companies which pursue Christmas programmes designed to help these children all year long.
Students at the Montego Bay Undergrad School have taken on the ambitious enterprise of educating and caring for street and the less fortunate children of Montego Bay. As of January 2002, any child that is unable to attend school will receive free education every Saturday from the schools teachers who have agreed to give their time free of cost.
Mrs. Morrison-Spence notes that at her own institution, "There is another set of donors who are kind-hearted and provide regular supplies of tissue on a monthly basis, or a couple of bags of rice. These are things which are in constant use and their provision is not confined to Christmas."
Maxfield Park, she said, is the only divested home in the island and the government subvention is very small. So, what she would love to see "is all this Christmas spirit spread out throughout the year."
