Andrea Downer, Gleaner Writer
Kiwanis Club of St. Andrew President Leroy Reid assists Allison Anderson, CEO of the Child Development Agency, in planting a tree at a ground-breaking ceremony at the Glenhope Place of Safety, Maxfield Park. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
UP TO six weeks ago, Glenhope Place of Safety on Maxfield Avenue in Kingston could be best described as a hell hole.
One hundred and five adolescent girls were crammed into a facility that was built to house 35 girls, a whopping 70 more than it could comfortably accommodate. The typical teenager is a handful. One hundred and five teenage girls who have been exposed to a variety of psychological, emotional and sexual abuse hoarded together under less than ideal circumstances, is a recipe for disaster. Until the intervention of a number of agencies including the Child Development Agency and the Public Health Department, terror reigned at Glenhope.
In scenes reminiscent of tales from the dark side, reports coming out of the facility were that some of the girls preyed on those who were more vulnerable. Reports of girls being gang-raped with implements by other girls were commonplace. The foul odour of faecal matter permeated the facility. Gruesome stories also surfaced of numerous fights among the girls. One particularly nasty encounter ended with one of the girls biting out a huge chunk of another girl's face and it was not only the girls who were a threat to each other. Young men from the tough inner-city communities that surround Glenhope preyed on the little girls.
EXTENSIVE RENOVATION
About six weeks ago, some major changes took place at the facility. Sixty girls were transferred to another facility, a new manager was hired, and extensive renovation of a number of the buildings and parts of the property began. Things are now significantly better for the 45 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 years old who remain at the facility. A wind of change is moving through Glenhope and Sophia Williams, the new manager for the facility, is directing the changes.
Ms. Williams says she is aware of the challenge she faces, but armed with a bachelor's degree in sociology and human resource management and a master's degree in clinical psychology, she says she is up to the task.
"I was drawn to this career as a result of negative reports in the media on places of safety and children's homes. I think what is needed are people who understand the dynamics of dealing with children in these situations and will treat each child as an individual with unique concerns and not lump them all together in a faceless group," the soft-spoken Ms. Williams explained.
Fourteen-year-old Moniquewho has been at the facility for six months, which is three months more than the stipulated period, is now much happier with life at the facility than she was five months ago.
"Well, mi glad say mi nuh haffi sleep wid nobody again, cause mi 'fraid say dem woulda feel mi up," she said with a shy smile.
She explained that she was placed at Glenhope after she ran away from her home in Clarendon to live with some people in Kingston whom she met in May Pen. She said before the 60 girls were moved, two girls had to sleep on a single bed. Despite the fact that things are considerably better at Glenhope, Monique is adamant that she wants to go back home to her father and stepmother.
DREAM CAN COME TRUE
"I would like to go back home, I have learnt from my mistake and I will never make the same mistake again," she stated sincerely. She says she wants to be a judge and is convinced that her dream can come true if she works hard enough.
Although she says things have improved at Glenhope, she still does not feel safe at the facility. "A pure gunshot bus a nighttime," she confided. "All pon di compound di bwoy dem come, come fire shot," she stated.
Ms. Williams confirmed Monique's claim. However, she said a perimeter wall that runs along the rear of the premises is being renovated and that should assist in keeping intruders out. One side of the front gate is dislocated from its hinges, however, and yawns open in an unspoken invitation. An unarmed guard is the only obstacle any potential intruder would face. Monique says thugs that routinely threaten the facility's guards, also throw stones on the guardhouse in attempts to intimidate them. The minimal security has resulted in a high incidence of girls running away from the facility.
Ms. Williams, however, remains undaunted. "I am hoping that when they leave here, they leave with a more positive attitude than they came in with. A lot of them come here believing that they have nothing to live for. Through counselling and positive interaction, I want to instil a sense of pride in them," she stated with real conviction. Ultimately, she would like to make Glenhope a place of safety.
