Drop-in Centre children coping with their losses
When the only material things you have in this world are small some things, you do what you can to hold on to it; and when it is gone the loss is significant, particularly if that small something was a platform to propel you ahead.
This was the general sentiment expressed by the children of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security’s Drop-in Center on Hadfield Street. The boys’ dorm was gutted by fire Saturday evening.
When this newspaper visited the children yesterday, the main concerns were the small things, the things that would aid their advancement: school clothes, shoes and books.
Since the fire, the 45 children, 21 girls and 24 boys, between the ages of 11 and 17, were moved to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Sophia Training Complex where they occupied the accommodation building.
There some of the girls were sitting around looking a little lost, understandable, being displaced and all. The others tasked themselves with making beds and sorting out the few things they managed to salvage after the fire.
Case worker with the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ms. Denise Ralph, had taken some of the girls back to the Drop-In Center earlier yesterday, so they could retrieve what they could.
Eleven-year-old Amanda from the Center, recounting the night’s happening, said, “It was bad…The smoke was all over and the fire burned the boys’ room.”
Small for her eleven years, the youngster made up for it in courage as she explained that she was indoors when the fire started and screamed after she saw the flames and the smoke. Soon after getting out of the Hadfield street compound, her small body fell to the ground as she fainted.
Nikita, a 15-year-old from the Center, also blacked out. According to her, she was also upstairs when the fire started.
“By the time we reach out the whole boys’ room was on fire and then I fainted and don’t know what happened after that,” she said.
Althea, an 11-year-old, who did not faint, recalled that the night’s occurrence was so “scary” that some of the children scaled the fence before the security guard even had a chance to open the gates, which are usually closed for security reasons.
“I was downstairs playing and I hear the screams,” Althea said adding that the whole thing happened very fast.
Fourteen-year-old Vedwattie, who is also an asthmatic, agreed.
“I came home from class and was playing when it started. When we get out I got sent to the hospital and get an injection…Everything happen fast,” she said.
Giselle, a 15-year-old, said the girls were lucky because they were able to save some of their belongings, not a fate shared by the boys.
At the Training Complex, the boys were busy making beds and shifting cupboards as they tried to get settled.
“The whole boys’ dorm done,” 13-year-old Bradford said.
He recalled that someone had plugged in an iron, a spark was seen and the sound of something “blowing” was heard.
“The blinds went fast and some of the boys jump out the window, and we did, screaming ‘Fire’, so the others would get out…We clothes and some of the boys had foodstuff, everything gone,” the teenager said.
Twelve-year-old Joseph was concerned more than ever about one of his treasures, his disc-man which was destroyed, and he told this newspaper that he loved music.
“My textbooks gone,” 11-year-old Brandon said.
“My school books gone and I got a test to write to go over to third form,” 14-year-old Terrence said.
Similar complaints came from the boys as each lamented the loss of an ‘important’ belonging.
In an invited comment, Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ms. Ann Green, who was at the Training Center assisting the children, affirmed that everything is being done to restore a sense of normalcy to the lives of the children.
According to her, avoiding a break in the children’s school routine is quintessential to the normalcy that is being sought.
“We are hoping to get things sorted out as quickly as we can for these children because they have to get back to school…They might just miss school for tomorrow (today) until we can get some more school uniforms; but by Wednesday I am trying to get every one out,” she said.
The Agency’s Director said the boys are the most affected.
“We inspected the girls’ dorm after the fire so we were able to salvage some of their things,” she said.
Green pointed out that since the fire, staffers from the Agency have been working to get the children settled.
In terms of support, she made clear that different agencies were forthcoming in rendering assistance and she expressed gratitude for this effort.
“By Monday we expect some material things for the children to come in,” she said.
Green said care givers are working on a shift system to stay with the children at the new location and case workers from the Agency will maintain a presence there to give what assistance they can.
“The children are traumatized, and in terms of the shock, they had a lot to deal with…They were also very much concerned for their possessions. For these children anything you have is something to hold on to, so the loss was a big thing for them,” she said.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, said her ministry is at the moment committed to ensuring that the children have a safe and healthy environment and added that necessary counseling will be made available to the affected ones.
“We want their lives to continue as normal as we can, as quickly as we can…The main thing now is school and by Wednesday each child should be back in school,” Manickchand said.
The Human Services and Social Security Minister said once clearance is given by the Fire Department, rehabilitation works will commence.