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Charity begins at home in Trinidad

Posted by CaribShout on November 29, 2010 at 10:35pm

While coming of age is a cause for celebration for most teens, residents of Childrens’ Homes have good reason to fear reaching the age of 18. At this time, the State and private bodies no longer see themselves as responsible for them, and they are left to fend for themselves. Kathleen Hypolite and her husband, Hamilton, have opened up their home to these young girls, as well as many others who are escaping abuse or family crises. Devout Adventists, they consider it their duty as Christians to help the disenfranchised. Two years ago, they founded Charity Promotions, an NGO dedicated to relieving suffering and distress. The husband and wife team are no strangers to charity work. Since 2001, they ran an outlet called The Brothers of Adventism, a tiny place in St James stocked with foodstuff, goods, clothes, even furniture, begged from companies and individuals, which they gave away to the needy. For several years, the poor and homeless of St James knew there was a place where they could find a clean shirt or a bag of groceries. When the ‘shop’, as they called it, closed, they began to think of other ways to help humanity. They started the process of qualifying with the Government to accept placements of young girls from the courts, the police, social workers, and even hospitals. The Charity Promotions Transition Home for Girls was born.Why girls? While there are a few homes for boys in T&T, there is none specifically catering to young girls. Even kind-hearted souls who are willing to take in teens baulk at the idea of accepting girls. Many fear the potential problems, from the girl winding up pregnant to the thought of exposing their own teenage sons—or even their husbands—to the constant presence of a nubile female.As a result, abandoned, at-risk, runaway girls, or girls who are difficult to manage, are sent to places like the St Jude’s Home for Girls or the Women’s Prison. Hard, but it could be worse. At least there they have a roof over their head. For every girl taken in by the system, countless others find themselves on the streets, either turning to exploitative labour or prostitution, or taken in by men who have promises of love on their lips but cruelty and abuse in their hearts.Although Hypolite has just one resident at the moment, she expects the Home, located at Luckput Street in St James, to fill quickly. “My job started to get monotonous and I had a friend from the Church who used to do missionary work, and I always told her I wished I could leave. Eventually, I did. I love children; I always have children around me,” she said with a beatific smile.She and her husband entered their 11-year marriage with two children each, but they are all grown, leaving ample space in their home for young people to love and care for. Once the young ladies are installed, they will be supported by social workers, who will work along with them and offer professional counselling. The girls will also receive psychological assessments, medical testing, school placements and career assessment and advice. At the moment, the Home is run purely on funds from the couple’s own pocket, but when it’s at full capacity (it can house up to 12 girls), their operating costs will be as much as $50,000 per month. This includes rental for the property, salaries for two caregivers, food, transportation, and the other necessities of life. But Hypolite wants more for her wards than simply a dry bed to sleep in and food on the table. She’d like to see them participate in activities that any young person would enjoy: swimming, sport, music and surfing the ‘net’. They will be encouraged to learn life skills, from processes we take for granted, like opening a bank account or obtaining a passport, to marketable trades such as joinery, welding, cooking and sewing. But all this costs money. She and her husband derive their income from their catering business, and a small vegetarian restaurant on the premises called Just Soya. Hypolite’s husband is a joiner and skilled artist; the walls of the rooms are graced by large, framed paintings of outdoor scenes in brilliant colours.Even so, the shortfall in financing the children is significant. Appeals have gone out on networks like Facebook, and they have also approached companies for assistance. The Home is not just hoping for finances and food, but also for furniture, appliances, sports and entertainment equipment for the girls. Despite their many needs and constraints, Hypolite and her husband are vesting their faith in God to provide, and help them make a change to a hurting segment of society. WomanWise readers who would like to lend a hand can call 481-0264.
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Tags: charity, even, girls, government, home, promotions, t&t, the, they, transition

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