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Orphanages, Charities in Jamaica

You can arrange for a visit on your own, or tour and transportation companies can arrange for visits to orphanages and local schools in the area. Some of these that do this on a regular basis are Gregg, Reggae Tours, Chef Thompson Tours (talk with Chef or Libby), Lee’s Taxi and Tours (talk with Norma), and Clive’s Transport Service (talk with Clive Gordon).

Montego Bay, Jamaica:

Anchovy School is a basic school serving 112 students located in Anchovy, a more rural area outside of Montego Bay. This is a convenient school to visit if you are planning to visit the Rockland’s Bird Sanctuary, also located in Anchovy. The school serves children between 3-7 years of age. The school’s facilities are very limited and they in need of many items, including school supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, crayons, colored pencils, rulers, colored markers, construction paper, glue sticks, children’s scissors, backpacks, and other items, CD player with educational CDs, tape players with educational cassettes, puzzles, games, flash cards and other educational/phonics teaching materials. The school’s telephone number is (876) 956-4180.

Blossom Garden’s Child Care Centre is located on a hill above Montego Bay and houses 50-60 children from birth through ten years of age. This is a place where one can stay by prior arrangement for several hours or all day holding and feeding babies, playing with the children, and just helping out with whatever is needed. The administrator for this orphanage is Mrs. Brown, and she can be contacted at (876) 952-6068 Monday through Friday or by e-mail at blossomgch@yahoo.com. The Child Care Centre also houses a basic school for the children between 4-8 years of age. The orphanage warmly welcomes visits and donations. Contact Mrs. Brown at least 10 days in advance of your visit to let her know that you are coming and arrange for the best time to visit with the children. The orphanage’s needs include baby clothes and children’s clothes, diapers (disposable or cloth), children’s shoes and socks, toys, books, children’s nursery items, crayons, modeling clay, reading books, backpacks, erasers, staplers, paper clips, glue sticks, phonic books, flash cards, educational tapes and CDs, tape players and CD players, puzzles, games, coloring books, activity books, construction paper, jump ropes, kites & balls, toys, band-aids, baby and children’s aspirins, children’s multi-vitamins, anti-bacterial creams and baby items. The address of the orphanage is 18-21 Appleton Hall, Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica. The orphanage is gated, so ring the bell to get in. The orphanage can be a bit difficult to find on one’s own, so try to arrange for transportation in advance. Transportation possibilities include Lee’s Taxi and Tours, Chef Thompson Tours, and Clive’s Transport Service.
Garland Hall Orphanage is located in the Montego Bay area and is home to 24 children. The orphanage needs a wide variety of items including children’s clothing, children’ shoes and socks, personal care items, educational toys and games, backpacks and school supplies. For more information, contact Edna Harty, Administrator, 876-956-4020, Mission Jamaica, dkiel@standrews.org.

The SOS Children’s Villages are located near Montego Bay. The SOS Children’s Village facility is about a ½-hour drive from Montego Bay going towards Ocho Rios. Currently the Village accommodates approximately 70 children in 8 family houses. It also has a Kinder-Prep School, Youth Facility for girls, Training Facility, which also doubles as a Guest House, and accommodation for staff. There is also a Youth Facility for boys, which is located in Montego Bay outside the Village Facilities. The Village has a Computer Lab, a Library, and a Learning Centre for children with learning difficulties. The SOS Jane Viera School in Montego Bay has about 80 children in 4 classrooms. Children range from 3 years of age and up. Needs include clothing, personal hygiene items, computer equipment, books, and skills training materials. For more information, visit the SOS Children’s Villages website at www.sos-jamaica.org, or contact the SOS Children’s Village of Jamaica Foundation, 26 Peter Pan Avenue, P.O. Box 654, Montego Bay, Jamaica. The telephone number is (876) 952-6215 or (876) 979-5850 and the e-mail address is sos.Jamaica@cwjamaica.com.

There are many other basic schools, primary schools and high schools located in this region.

Posted by: bfischl