Jarmila Jackson, Features Writer

A view of some of the homes at the SOS Children's Village in Stony Hill, St Andrew. - photo by Jarmila Jackson

It has often been said that it takes a village to raise a child, and nestled in the cool, secluded heights of Stony Hill, St Andrew, one can find such a village. The SOS Children's Village is an orphanage, distinct from any other. The children, who are either victims of abandonment, neglect or simply born to parents unable to care for them financially, are placed there by the courts. The Stony Hill location is one of two, the other is in Barrett Town, Montego Bay.

A community that maintains cultural roots and a feeling of belonging, the village is structured in a way that literally provides that family element necessary for a child's cognitive development. The children are nurtured by not one, but many individuals.

The orphanage has made a commitment to nourishing the growth and development of the children from the tender toddler age, straight to adulthood, even offering funding for those interested in attending college. Basic and preparatory schools, as well as boys' and girls' youth facilities, are found on and near to the premises.

Homestead environment

There are a total of 14 dwellings, built closely together. Each two-storey house includes bedroom and bathroom facilities, with each child to his/her own bunk bed, living, dining and kitchen area. There is even a small backyard with a clothes line to complete the homestead environment. The residents comprise trained 'mothers', 'aunts', as well as the 'brothers' and 'sisters' who have been entrusted to their care.

"The volunteer first comes in as an aunt," says village director and father figure, Sean Foskin. "Then they will have to undergo a two-year training course in order to qualify for the position of 'mother'. The aunts are really here to fill in for the mother when she is unavailable, so the children always have someone here for them."

'Aunty Marcia' lives in a house with six teenage girls. Each room has a distinct design on its walls. There is a room with a ceiling of pink and white polka dots, in the living room a cloud is painted around the light bulb in the middle of a blue ceiling. The kitchen is something to marvel at. The girls have cut shapes out of styrofoam, using them as stencils.

Beaming with love

They have stamped tiny green hearts all over the walls. "When we moved in last year, we knew we had to paint it. Everybody started mixing and selecting colours that they liked, and eventually, it just evolved into this," says the proud aunt, beaming with love for the girls in her care.

According to Foskin, each house operates independently to foster a genuine family environment. "There are instances where a child is reunited with their family and they say, 'this is not my standard of living,' they want to come back."