“Aunty Lorna”

I have known “Aunty Lorna,” as she is affectionately called for the more than eight years since she has been in Trench Town. I was one of then first persons to join the after-school Youth Enhancement Programme when she came here in 1994. Her arrival in Rema was like a miracle and answered prayers for many of us who thought there was no hope. I’m so thankful that she came and turned the tables for us.

I don’t think anyone has gotten the help and love from her like I have. I remember asking Aunty Lorna why she had come to this community even though a war was going on at that particular time. Her reply was, “God sent me here and I am not leaving until my work here is finished.” Aunty Lorna formed the group in an old abandon building that no sensible human being would want to go into. I could never begin to describe how the building looked much less how it smelled. But, this did not deter her. She sent us for water and gave us money to buy soap and brooms and we went to work. She also bought paint and put in grills and lights. After we had finished people in the community could not believe that this was the same old abandon building.

Because the programme started the same day the war broke out between Rema and Tivoli, there were many children who were unable to cross battle lines to go to school in other communities and a lot of children started going to the school. There were a lot of us and we neither had desks nor chairs to sit on. But, once again, this lady was not to be deterred. She went out and bought building blocks which she used for chairs and clip boards for desks. God saw that this lady was doing a lot for so many of us young teenagers and He answered our prayers as after a little while, someone gave her some desks and chairs.

Even though it was an after-school programme, because of the war, many of us would go to the Centre from in the mornings and this meant that Aunty Lorna would have to find breakfast, lunch and dinner. She didn’t even have a stove to cook on and even though she had lived in the States for a long while, she still remembered how to use a coal stove to provide meals for us.

Our staple meal was “Ghetto Steak” (chicken back) and fried or boiled dumplings. It was not long after that Aunty brought her stove down along with pots and plates and we were now able to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. We never went hungry.

Each weekend, Aunty Lorna would take three or more of us to her humble home. At the time, she shared house with a lady and although she only had one small room we would all make ourselves comfortable in this one room.

Aunty Lorna always talked about us whenever she was on the radio, television, and at church. Each time Aunty Lorna went away she always brought back something for all of us. Many of us received nice clothes and shoes for the very first time in our lives.

We really gave Aunty Lorna a lot of trouble. We were not disciplined at all and many of us would curse and fight each other about the simplest thing. I was one of the main trouble makers in the programme. “Trouble,” was my middle name and I certainly gave her my fair share of it. She expelled me from the programme what seemed like about forty-six times and suspended me for about another fifty times. And yet, I’m still with her. There were many times when Aunty Lorna would leave in the evening and say she hah had it with us. But she would return the following day. There were times when she said, “I am leaving,” and immediately she would jump in her car but we would jump in front of the car, on top of the car and even lie on the ground trying to prevent the car from moving. We knew she was the only a ray of hope for all of us and we could never allow her to leave.

The Youth Enhancement Programme that Aunty Lorna started really benefited a lot of us. She got volunteers to come in and help us. As a result of this programme a lot of students who could not read learnt to read and many learnt to spell their names and many of us who were preparing for exams were successful. Aunty Lorna was always seeking sponsors for us. She helped many of us with our school fees to go to high school and we could always count on her for books, lunch money and bus fares.

There was a time when we were really worried that we were going to lose Aunty Lorna and that she was going to leave us. There were certain people in the community who did not like what Aunty Lorna was doing for the children and because they could not have their way with her, they started sending her threats and some of them put up signs on the fences chasing her out of the community. We children heard a lot of things that they were planning to do to these ungrateful people. She had even helped some of them to start business and yet they turned against her. That’s when we knew that this was truly a woman sent from God. She even risked her life to keep coming down here even though she knew about the threats on her life and that she had quite a few enemies. But she always told us that the Lord said we should Love our enemies. Today, I see most of those people still coming around her and she is just the same to them. She is always speaking up for them, going on television and saying positive things. We really don’t understand this kind of love.

Many times I am there with her and I see people come and ask her for favours. If it’s love, she gives it to them. If it’s food, she gives it to them. I have even seen her give away her very last dollar. Aunty Lorna has given up her house and came to live in her office for about three months when she did not want to close the school. I know she must have felt a way when this was even in the newspaper. I have seen her walk and take the bus when she did not have any money to fix her car. Although I would like to be like Aunty Lorna, I know I could never do all the things I have seen her do.

Everybody in Rema, Trench Town, Jungle and all around these communities know Aunty Lorna. Down to the baby that just start walking and talking knows Aunty Lorna. Everywhere she goes there is always someone shouting “Miss Lorna,” “Aunty Lorna” “Miss.” I believe she even hear these voices calling her in her sleep. Why are they always calling her? Because there are so many, many children and their parents and young boys and girls who remember what Aunty Lorna has been doing for them.

Aunty Lorna has done a lot for me personally and also for a lot of other children. She helped me to go to high school. She helped me with the fees, lunch, bus fare, books and more than anything else she was a great source of encouragement. We all see her as angel that has been sent from above. She truly believes she was sent by God to guide, protect and love us. She would always say, “I see a future in you and you’re going to be a role model, an example for people to follow and I am not going to give up on you.” And, she has not.

There was a time when I felt I was too big to listen to Aunty Lorna and her constant lectures so I started staying away from her. But I have since come to realize that she came to change us; not to scare us and that she loves us dearly.

One day, in November last year (2002) I was really feeling down and out and I told some of my friends that I wanted to give up on life and that I felt as if I didn’t want to live anymore. About half hour later, I saw Aunty Lorna walking hurriedly down the street looking for me. She was very excited. She said “Kerry Ann, I have some great news for you. I just got a phone call and I have found someone who wants to sponsor you to go to catering school. The fees are all paid but you must start tomorrow.”

I could not believe my ears because only minutes before I was planning on ending it all. Right away I knew that this was the Lord who had answered my prayers. I have been going to the school for three months now and I am doing very well. Aunty Lorna even told me to start baking cakes and bring them to her school for her to sell to the children for me. I started doing this the very next day after she told me and now, I have come to realize that she came to change us; not to scare us and that she loves us dearly
I can find money for my school supplies and transportation and lunch money.

I love Aunty Lorna with all of my heart because she helped me not to give up on life. I would never ever give away Aunty Lorna for nobody. I can tell her anything. I will never ever forget what she has done for me and for the many people and children in Rema. We love her very much. There is so much more to say but these are just a few words to express my feelings. May God bless Aunty Lorna and may the Lord continue to talk to her for us.

Kerry-Ann Thompson