New Dormitory For Wards At Mt. Olivet Boys’ Home

Wards at the Mt. Olivet Boys’ Home in Walderston, Manchester, are to move into their newly constructed and modern dormitory in June, sponsored by Yohan Blake’s YB Afraid Foundation, in collaboration with a team of contributors and established corporations across the world.

“This is going to revolutionise the way we care for boys at Mt. Olivet and in Jamaica on a whole. This new building is going to provide a level of care that has not been seen in Jamaica for a very long time, and the boys are looking forward to coming into this new space. The boys are always peeping in and climbing and trying to look in, so they are ready,” says Director of Mt. Olivet Boys’ Home, Patrick Newman.

He tells JIS News that they are preparing themselves for the task ahead, as they will have to ensure the boys are properly guided regarding the use and care of this new and exciting space.

“We are going to have to do some orientation of both boys and staff, as to what to expect when we move into the new space,” Mr. Newman says.

Chairman of the YB Afraid Foundation, Timothy Spencer, says they understood that the actual living quarters were in desperate need of upgrading for the safety, security and general well-being of the boys.

“So extensive would have been the repairs, it would not have been practical, and the result would still be compromised.  We decided to design from scratch and build a modern, exciting and inspiring space,” he notes.

The project is a partnership with Richard Mille (Japan), Redgrave Luxury in the United Kingdom and the Sandals Foundation.

“The project has been ongoing for about three years since I sat down with an exciting young architect, Jerome Pusey. It has been extremely challenging working through COVID-19, but we are almost there now,” Mr. Spencer says.

“We remain inspired by the vision and achievements of the great organisations involved, and are deeply grateful for their commitment and love.  The actual contractor on the project is a Jamaican company, called PAV CON Construction. They have been fantastic, particularly because of the way they interact with the boys during the project,” he adds.

The dorm is designed to accommodate 50 boys, and currently there are 41 boys at the Home. There are talks of increasing the number of wards in the future, but this will require additional staff and more resources. The building is designed on three levels and the boys will be placed according to age and physical mobility.

“The idea behind the new dorm is to lift the standard of care for wards of the State. We want a happy space because we believe it will foster happy and inspired children,” Mr. Spencer tells JIS News.

The project also includes an artificial turf football field, a stage for performances, and an extensive playground for the boys.

Mr. Spencer informs that a space is also being created for visitors who may need to stay overnight.

“The third floor actually has a fully self-contained apartment, complete with its own kitchen. The idea behind this is being able to accommodate visiting teachers or instructors overnight,” he says.

Meanwhile, Mr. Newman says the YB Afraid Foundation will be assisting the Home initially with maintenance until the Home can manage on its own.

“We’ll [also] have our local persons at the Home, whose duty will be specifically to maintain the building,” he adds.

Plans are already in place for the old buildings to be used for the benefit of the boys and the wider community.

“The Sandals Foundation has shown interest in one of the older buildings to set up a HEART/NSTA Trust-certified skills centre for the boys here and the surrounding communities, for those interested in learning woodwork and welding. The other building will be renovated and used as a pre-independent facility for the boys who are ageing out of the State system,” Mr. Newman notes.