St. Benedict Chidren's Home in St. Vincent

Shamika has mental challenges and a big smile. She lives at St. Benedict Home for Children. She'd like a table to share with her friends so they don't have to do their homework on the floor.

History and Background:

St. Benedict Day Nursery and Children’s Home was established in 1963 as a result of Father Roberts finding young children tied to some chairs or tables by their parents in order to go out to the banana plantations ‘to gain a living’. The parents felt that this was a safe way of preventing the child from wandering. (The parents never thought that this was endangering the child instead).

Later an infant hospital section was added in 1968. This institution provided 24-hour care to children in need, including those suffering from malnutrition, and played a crucial role in saving lives.  In 1973 services expanded to include shelter and care for various disadvantaged children.

Current Operations:

We house and care for 15-25 girls and 7-12 boys at a given time, divided into two buildings: Unit 1 for girls and Unit 2 for boys. The staff works in a three-shift system but faces challenges due to the increasing number of children and the high cost of living.

Daily Activities of the Children:

The children attend local schools or engage in activities within the institution. 

Eleven (11) children attend a primary school in the village. 

Two (2) children attend the School for Special Needs, Georgetown  

The other children who remain at home – a few mentally challenged children are engaged in activities by the care-givers.

These activities range from music and physiotherapy to homework, extra educational work, computer activities, and learning Christian values.