Mennonite Central Committee

Committee for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill

Press Release, July 2001
Jamaica
by Kimberly Wiens

Will the cycle continue...?

At the age of three, Sharon was abandoned by her mentally ill mother.
When Lester turned twelve, he left his home and began to fend for himself.
One day, Sharon and Lester met. They were married and started a family. They now have seven children.

Will the cycle continue...?

In September of 2000 the Committee for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (CUMI) Children's Program began working with this very family, the Duncan's, for the purpose of preventing a cycle that looked inevitable. We decided to focus on the five younger children, aged two to sixteen. All were malnourished. All were illiterate despite having gone to school from age six. The family was offered an opportunity to receive a good education and have all school and medical expenses covered. A policy contract was developed regarding parenting styles, finances and nutritious eating habits. Lester and Sharon agreed to volunteer two days of community service every month as a way of giving back to the less fortunate. A schedule of sessions was developed to monitor the progress of the children and parents. All contracts were discussed as a family so they could hold one another accountable. Slowly but surely, changes are taking place.

The children are attending the Montego Bay Christian Academy. Here they are surrounded by loving, skilled teachers who are aware of their situation and are willing to assist them as they develop their literacy skills. All are enjoying this opportunity, though Duval, age sixteen, is having some trouble adjusting. During the first term of school he was suspended twice for fairly minor events. In January, it was discovered that Duval uses marijuana and has been since he was thirteen. He was told that he needed to stop if he wanted to continue with the program. Despite assurances from Duval that he had discontinued the use of this drug, a test in June showed that it had been in his system within the previous few weeks. As a result, he was removed from school and is currently volunteering at Robin's Nest Children's Home doing gardening, plumbing and building. Duval's progress is being well monitored and random marijuana tests will be done on him throughout the summer. If he can be given a clean bill of health, he may return to school in September.

The three younger children have shown remarkable progress. From dull and lifeless, they have become alert and energetic and full of laughter. Their ability to concentrate and process information has dramatically enhanced their learning capacity. In fact, two of the children made the honor role this term. They have voluntarily begun a "school" for their underprivileged peers in their poor community. Sharon and Lester are encouraged to tell these children the story of their lives—the struggles they personally went through and how it has impacted their parenting.

Although much work remains, there is plenty of hope in this situation. The hope is that Duval will make some good choices this summer. The hope is that the children will overcome the setbacks of malnutrition and illiteracy. The hope is that Sharon and Lester will build the connection with their children that they themselves never experienced as youngsters. Slowly, this group is experiencing life as a family for the first time.

The cycle IS being turned around.