Trinity Kid Companions bring joy to orphans

Trinity School of Medicine has a newly founded organization, which focuses on deeper personal involvement of its members.

Diana Freeman, president and founder of the group ‘Kid Companions’, formed in early February, 2016, describes the group as one focused on mentorship.{{more}}

About this particular focus, Freeman explained, “At my first Student Government meeting, I noticed all clubs centered on student self-involvement. The Christian organizations had outreaches to orphanages and different homes around SVG. They only gave money, but I wanted to belong to an organization that put time and effort into building the lives of the children in these institutions: that’s why I started ‘Kid Companions’.”

With this aim, the young organization found it “absolutely easy to co-opt members, as everyone was willing to get involved and to help out.”

After only three weeks of existence, members journeyed to Georgetown to visit the children of the St Benedict Children’s Home, where some 20 children between the ages of two months and 18 years old reside.

After being greeted by supervisor Lovetha Lavia, the students immediately warmed up to their charges, then took them to the institution’s playground, where they conducted a number of fun activities. These were organized according to the physical abilities of the children, with the students becoming their partners. They raced, drove the children in their wheelchairs, climbed, slid down the chute, and see-sawed, among other activities. It was a rollicking afternoon.

Both president and fellow members expressed delight at participating in this first venture. President Dian explained that they were mostly concerned about the children having a great time from the interactions.

The institution’s director, Sr Nyra-Anne Pajotte, was extremely happy that ‘Kid Companions’ chose to visit to interact with the residents at the Home. She concurred that, “The interaction is really encouraging to the children.” She confided that sometimes, the children do not quite know how to engage outsiders sufficiently and persons coming in to focus on companioning them is a definite boost to their social skills.

Kid Companions has planned two other visits to the St Benedict Children’s Home during this term, in which the children will be taken on some “marching paths” and will be given the experience of a carnival festivity. They will then give companionship to children from the Social Services Clinic of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. From there, other children from institutions around SVG will be exposed to the service they offer.