It takes a ‘Village’ to raise a child’. This African proverb can be suitably applied to the SOS Children’s Villages in Jamaica. The Kingston based SOS Children’s Village, nestled in the cool, green, hillside of Stony Hill, is a clean, secure and spacious complex. The Village is presently home to ninety-seven (97) boys and girls. Although the Village ideally accommodates children aged 0-23 years, the youngest child is five years old.

Recently, the Bob Marley and Rita Marley Foundations, partnered to present three children’s bicycles with helmets and safety gear, to the SOS Children’s Village at Stony Hill.

The children were all in school, but the Village’s Manger and Social Worker, happily accepted the gifts on their behalf. Both women expressed their gratitude and said they are sure the children will love having the bicycles. They explained that there is a flat, grassed area where the children can ride safely.

The Manager, Ms. Marcia Brown, emphasizes that the Village is not an orphanage. It is a private, nonprofit, non-political and non-denominational welfare organization that offers orphaned, abandoned and at risk children, a permanent home. The home, with its highly qualified and committed staff, opened the Stony Hill Village in 1982, and provides a supportive and safe ‘village’ environment for its young residents. The Village provides holistic care, with avenues created for the personal development of the children. It helps the children to build positive life-long relationships and prepares them for taking a leading role in the development of their own lives.

The Village has established facilities and programmes that ensure that the children receive education, as well as skills training and the social support needed to be confident, productive and successful members of the society.

The Bob Marley and the Rita Marley Foundations, share the mission of empowering our youths and positively impacting the lives of families and communities, through sustainable projects and partnerships.