JIS Presents Back-to-School Items to Residents of Mount Olivet Boys’ Home

With the new school year swiftly approaching, members of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) have helped to put a smile on the faces of residents at the Mount Olivet Boys’ Home.

Twenty-nine residents received shoes, uniforms, books, and other stationery at the annual Back-To-School Visit, held on Saturday, August 19 at the Home in Walderston, Manchester.

Before the handover of the items, the boys were engaged in discussions surrounding aviation, innovation, agriculture and art.

The session, led by Acting Special Projects Manager at the JIS, Charnele Henry, gave the boys an important insight into careers that they can venture into, following their departure from school.

“Some of you will be leaving school soon and we want you to start thinking about the careers you would like to go into, so that you can become good citizens and can give back to society in a positive way,” Ms. Henry encouraged the boys.

The Back-to-school Visit is one of three to the Home annually and is part of efforts by the JIS to continue its support for the Home.

A Sports Day, Christmas visit and birthday celebrations are other ways in which the Agency supports the nurturing and development of the residents.

This year’s visit was sponsored by Dr. Sue and You Foundation, Econo Office and School Supplies, Trade Winds Citrus, Joseph’s, and Sammy’s Shoes Ja.

Meanwhile, Board Chairman of the Boys’ Home, Sophia Morgan, expressed gratitude to the JIS for its continued support over the years, adding that a sound education is one of the Home’s highest priorities.

“Education is one of the things that we promote highly for our residents. We know they are from different backgrounds; we know there are different challenges that they have, and so school is one area that we hope to get them a little more focused [in],” she told JIS News.

Ms. Morgan said the Home is resolute in its efforts to provide an environment that promotes holistic development for its residents.

“We have instituted a Wellness Programme where the boys wake up in the mornings, do their devotions, and then go outside for physical exercise,” she said.

The programme, which was started during the summer break to keep the residents active and engaged in their own personal development, will soon become a staple programme at the Home, according to Ms. Morgan.

“For every activity or decision that we are taking, we involve the boys, so we have conversations [and] meetings to get their input and their ideas as to things they would like to see,” she said.

“We want to ensure that the spiritual and physical well-being [of the boys] is integrated in the whole behavioural change that we are promoting at the Home,” Ms. Morgan continued.

While on the note of developmental programmes for residents at the Home, Ms. Morgan also mentioned a ‘Layers and Greenhouse Project’, which is currently under way and will “provide incentives for the residents assigned to assist with the programme”.

A total of 100 layers were donated to the Home on Saturday, August 19, by Nutramix, and the Greenhouse project is set to commence soon with bell peppers acquired by the Home.