>>>>>>>  By Olga Adamson

A few years ago I was made aware of the West Haven Children’s Home in Hanover along with a bit of its history. The story stayed with me for some time and then I just had to see that place for myself. Soon I was on a plane trip that would dramatically change the course of my life.
I stayed in Manchester but I made the trip twice to visit that home. It was a very emotional experience both times but I found myself wanting to work with that section of society. I soon discovered several other children’s homes in Manchester and other parishes and learned that there were more than forty of these homes on the island.
I decided to work with the one nearest to my home. This happened to be the Mount Olivet Boy’s Home that is built on a hill and can get very cold at times. The boys all said that they would be happy to get some blankets from England. On my return to England I raised the awareness of the situation and members of the Tottenham Seventh Day Adventist church donated more than sixty blankets and four barrels of food and clothing to the Home. Sadly some of the older boys complained that they had to do extra work to receive a blanket that was sent as a present to them. This Home is now under the management of a new Director.
At age 18 years they are no longer the responsibility of the home or the government and as a rule are no longer in care. Many of them received little or no education, have no trade skills and are totally unemployable thus facing very uncertain futures. I became painfully aware of this situation when I received a very distressing phone call from tow boys who were now facing this very situation. These were displaced and frightened young men one of whom had spent his entire life in the care system not knowing any relatives. Their situation was urgent leaving us no choice but to take them into our home, love them, feed them and help them get a level of education. The alternative would be for them to end up back on the streets from where they were rescued in the first instance. Sadly this is not a unique case and many of them without help will forced into unhealthy existences.
On the flip side there are success stories for those lucky enough to have received help from benevolent people. Many have become professionals and are able to help others, doing unto them as was done for them.
Many have told me that they lay awake at nights wondering who they really are. They are angry young men asking for professional help to deal with their dominant emotion that is anger. They constantly talk about things going on in their heads that are driving them crazy. My reason for working specifically with boys is that they will become the men of tomorrow hopefully heading their own families. They have few or no positive male role models and little or no self-esteem. Many of these young men will listen to good advice. They appreciate people just talking with them or listening to them. Their young lives have been filled with trauma. Once they are placed in the system they have the uncertainty of being shifted from one home to another. Some boys will have been shifted as many as six or seven times during their time in care. Their resilience should never go unnoticed. Many have used this hard life as an incentive to rise like the phoenix out of the ashes.
They are now very much aware of their bodies and are now on the transition course from “fatherless to fatherhood”. The need for follow-up care is urgent and we cannot turn a blind eye. We need a centre where they can receive professional help and volunteers to help them deal with their demons. I deem it a pleasure that I have been fortunate enough to work with this forgotten area of society that has left me feeling very humbled. No inanimate thing could ever give me the joy that I experience when I see them being free to laugh and act as normal teenagers, but most of all I am fully rewarded when they trust me enough to discuss their personal issues with me.
This experience has prompted me to set up a charity to help take care of these young men who cannot speak for themselves.
Again I ask “Who is Minding Our Children” Please help us to help them.