In February when Laing Avenue resident Florence Rowe resigned from her job after 15 years, she was unsure of her next move but she knew she wanted to assist children, especially those in Grade Six, to reach their full potential.
Her doors were already open to them as since COVID-19 restrictions she had been working with some of them online but she felt she could do more. A firm believer in God, Rowe, who quickly noted many may not understand, said she believed she answered God’s calling to give more to children.
Months later, with the support of many, inclusive of businesses and individuals, her Laing Avenue home has been transformed into what can be described as a lesson hub. Supported by her sister Fiona De Young, she now caters for children of all primary school levels. They are no longer just from Laing Avenue, but other contiguous communities. Secondary school students are also accommodated and are assisted with School Based Assessments, assignments, research, or printing.
All of this is being done at no cost to the children or their parents. Rowe, who is better known as ‘Aunty Flori’, her sister and those who volunteer from time to time are seeking to change the trajectory of the lives of children who may not have had a chance to excel academically for various reasons. They cater to the academic needs of about 70 children at present.
“When I resigned and started teaching these children, I said I can’t charge these children because some parents are going to use it as an excuse not to send them… Don’t use that as an excuse, send them. I am going to deal with them,” Rowe said during an interview with this newspaper.
While some parents offered to pay, Rowe said she told them: “You can’t pay me, I left my job… just send your children. Talk to them and tell them to have behaviour and don’t give me any problems. Other than that I am good”.
Initially the thought was that she would only work with Grade Six children up to July, then take a break and restart later and maybe look for another job in between. But then children of all ages showed up and De Young offered to assist. Rowe said she knew she had to give more of her
time and she told God, “I am just a conduit and let your glory flow”. She said she found the “perfect partner” in her sister, who has the “grace for the younger children”. This allows Rowe to focus on the Grade Six children, who, she said, have the ability to gain entry to the top secondary schools.
Now she receives support from GTT (Rowe’s former employer which continues to provide free internet service to her home), Digicel, ANSA McAl Trading and Humphrey’s Bakery as well as private individuals who have truly helped to make it a community project. There is Rosamond Clarke, a teacher at St Stephen’s Primary, who saw the children sitting on the ground and lobbied her headmistress to assist with spare furniture the school. Aubrey Hetemyer also assisted with this endeavour. Others like Malika, June, Roxanne, Samantha and Wendy all contributed to the building of desks and benches and a blackboard, along with Ena and family who did the actual building. Hazel Prince, Shebeka Gomes and Avesta, all of the USA, have also played a big part. Rowe said there were many individuals who saw a Facebook live she did with Melissa Atwell, better known as Melly Mel, and contributed tremendously.
Sunday school teachers
Both Rowe and De Young are Sunday school teachers at the Faith Revival New Testament Church and have interacted with most of the children in the area as the church is located on Middle Road. Having grown up on Laing Avenue, they have also interacted with the children’s parents and grandparents over the years. Rowe said she started assisting Grade Six children about ten years ago. At first she was helping her nieces and nephews, then she encouraged them to bring other children who were also preparing to write the examination.
“It [was] like three, four or five depending on the age group for that year and I would be working with them. I am also aware of some of the challenges in the area in terms of some of the children not having three square meals. So, me being a person that is very giving [I provided meals as well],” Rowe said.
It was at this point in the interview that Rowe revealed another hero in the project – her mother Gail Rowe – from whom they got the giving spirit. At present, even as she approaches her 72nd birthday, Gail Rowe supports the initiative by preparing the meals for the children.
Rowe disclosed that her mother was always a giving person who cooked large amounts of food and soup on Sundays and shared it with those who were sick in the area and the elderly.
“I grew up seeing that very nurturing, loving, reaching out to others spirit… We would always have a lot in our homes. We never knew growing up about half pound of nothing, it was sheer bags of stuff… so she would always have that love in her heart for other people’s children,” Rowe said of her mother.
Her mother was a housewife, Rowe said, but her father provided well for the family of six children. Her mother took such a keen interest in the neighbourhood’s children that she instructed some of them to take their bowls to her in the morning so she could fill them, ensuring that they did not use the excuse of not having anything to eat to stay away from school.
Growing up and seeing their mother in action, Rowe said, it was easy for them to grow up and transition to the point of “see what can I do to help”.
Rowe was just shy of completing 16 years at GTT when she resigned effective from February 28th last. She said she was following the instructions of God through prayer as she wanted Him to direct her. Before resigning, Rowe said, she managed to provide snacks for the children in the afternoon from her salary. During the lockdown restrictions, she assisted them with printing their assignments and provided tutoring on Zoom when she got a break at work, or in the afternoons, assisted by her niece Aliyah De Young-Heywood, who is completing studies at the Cyril Potter College of Education.
Because most of the children were from the Sunday School, Rowe said, they had a good idea of their abilities and worked to maximise them.
Once she was at home, more children approached her for assistance and Rowe said she realised that a lot of the children were performing way below their age, due to some of them not accessing classes regularly during the physical closure of schools. Rowe said she is bothered at times by the actions of some parents, who had struggled and were not given the opportunity to complete their education, not working to ensure that their children did not suffer the same fate.
“So that’s the passion behind trying to get children to see they can be whatever they desire to be and because we know the word of God that says children are the head and not the tail; they are above and not beneath. But now they are operating beneath, so we need to bring them up and that is why Fiona and I decided that we were going to start this thing,” she explained.
‘Thinking small’
Rowe and De Young said they were “thinking small” as they just wanted to cater for the children on the block. However, after the live Facebook video, people from outside the area asked to have their children included.
During the Easter holidays, she catered for Grade Six children from 9 am to 3 pm and provided meals for them cooked by her mother. The other children, starting from those of nursery age, were accommodated from 3.30 pm to 5 pm, and then the secondary school children from that time to 7 pm.
At present, all of the children attend lessons from 4 pm to 6.30 pm and they are assisted by Gario John and Akeilah De Young, who both attend secondary school and volunteer their time in the afternoon to assist the younger children.
Initially, De Young taught the younger children in the yard, but they could not be there during inclement weather, so her mother took down a wall in their home and transformed that area into a school where all of the children are accommodated.
The numbers have grown so much that Rowe has had to limit the secondary school students who visit and stressed that unless they had an SBA or assignment to complete they should not visit.
The sisters teach from Monday to Friday, but on the weekends Rowe said she sometimes opens up because some children, mostly boys, would still come for assistance.
“When I see boys doing assignments I open up and I say come do your thing and try to help them…,” she said.
‘First child’
De Young shared that some years ago she agreed to assist an in-law who was writing the Grade Six assessment as her mother could not afford lessons. She worked with the child who gained entry to a senior secondary school.
“She was the first child I worked with and since then every year people bring their children. They don’t even have to be in common entrance, any level and you know I thank God I could help,” said the mother of four, two of whom are adults.
For her, good things can come out of the children but they need that push and that is where she wants to step in because at times the parents are unable to give them that needed push.
“Now from the time I come on the Avenue me children done position themselves because they are so eager to learn. They might not get the work at the level they should but they position themselves and want to learn and once you see that you know you can push them,” she said.
People have donated textbooks, past papers and other school supplies and these are greatly useful in teaching the children.
The sisters are driven by their love for children and love for God in doing what they believe He has called them to do.
“Every night you can’t sleep just thinking about what am I going to teach them tomorrow, you know, thinking how can this one who is slow learn this thing? What can I do to help her?” De Young shared.
They have a prayer line in the morning and De Young said most times they are praying for the children.
Rowe has diplomas in marketing from the University of Guyana and will soon begin pursuing a master’s degree in International Business Management at the East London University through the government’s GOAL scholarship programme. She recalled that studying at UG with a full-time job meant that she was not getting home sometimes until 2 am as she studied and tried to catch up with work she missed with assistance from her classmate. In 2018, she graduated with distinction.
Over the years working at GTT, Rowe said, she received the employee of the year award annually for the service centre section where she worked. In 2018, she was employee of the year for the entire company.
Prior to GTT she worked for eight years with Decipher International, a medical transcription company under DDL which transcribed medical files for doctors in the US.
“When the children come with the eagerness to learn, that is our payment. Every night we would clean up and sharpen all the pencils and she [De Young] would write on the board… She prepares beforehand. It has been so good, so good and the support we have been getting is encouraging,” Rowe said.
Even if she does become employed again, Rowe said she would always find time to teach the neighbourhood children as both her and sister are “in it for the long haul.”
