By B. Roach
These five children from Maria ravaged Dominica arrived on a Fly Montserrat charter flight which landed at the John A. Osborne Airport Friday afternoon, October 20, 2017.
These five children from Dominica will be attending school here for the next three months, in the first instance.
All the children have host families and culminated from an initiative taken on by the Montserrat Children’s Society on Montserrat (MCS), which was launched here in February, 2013 at the Hill Top Coffee House and Family Centre. The president is Mrs. Helena Dorsett and she informs how the “support has been wonderful.”
“Several sponsors are on board to assist in whatever way they can…weekly and monthly,” she said.
The Host Families are: Mary and Nurse Naomi Farrell, Joycelyn L. Howe, Mrs. Catherine and Rudolph Dorsette, and Miss Lucille Irish. The other person is Miss Norma Francis who received direct assistance to bring one a young member of a family into her care.
The Farrell sisters speaking to ZJ B Radio’s Tanisha Christopher said they were prepared and able to assist in caring for the 18-year old disabled girl child to whom they have opened their doors. Mary said, “We would not know where we have to go and what we would have to do. People need people and we are one family.”
“My sister and myself when we heard about it we decided to take a child or children to assist in whatever way we can so that (they) can be relaxed and stress-free…and we are capable enough to do such,” Mary said. .
President Helena Dorsette said that in discussion with the Minister of Education Mrs. Delmaude Ryan, Director of Education Mr. Glen Francis and Ms. Elaine Ryan of the Social Services, MCS was assured that, “if we could get the children to Montserrat there was more than enough space available at both primary and secondary school level.”
Mrs. Dorsette said further, “MCS is hoping to meet with the Director of Education to fast track and arrange meets so that the children can begin school within the coming week.”
Dorsette also informed that some Staff of Social Services department, who are also members of MCS, assisted with vetting the families. The MCS president is also hoping that, “with the direct communication links which have been established ‘before’ the children came up, will cement the relationships between families, and arrangements can be made between the families to determine whether they want, (can accommodate) the children to complete the Academic school year on Montserrat.”
Some of the children gave brief accounts of their experience through hurricane Maria which originated from a tropical wave, becoming a tropical storm on September 16, east of the Lesser Antilles with remarkably favorable environmental conditions enabling the storm to undergo explosive intensification as it approached the islands.
Maria reached Category 5 strength on September 18 as it made landfall on Dominica, producing extreme winds across the entire island.
It is reported that afterwards, Maria reached its peak intensity over the eastern Caribbean with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h).
The children upon arrival in Montserrat also expressed their joy at being in Montserrat, especially it was their first time being in Montserrat. One said: “Someone told me that I’m going to enjoy my experience in Montserrat. It’s a small island and everyone knows each other and they are very friendly and very great people…it’s amazing I saw the volcano and I was very happy cause that was my first time.”
While the president wishes to express thanks to the Executive and Members of MCS for support, she also sends thanks to individuals, businesses and individual sponsors, who at the end are soliciting assistance with the difficult situation of books, uniforms etc. “If there is any assistance with the books we will appreciate…” Mary Farrell said, as otherwise to that if all food, clothing, shelter, “we are ok.”
