Children’s Ark gives migrant children a ray of hope

As 23 Venezuelan children of registered migrants prepare to attend school for the first time in years come September, 50-plus Venezuelan children have already started studying at a learning centre, A Ray of Hope, in Penal.

A 40-foot container on the grounds of the Penal Catholic church was converted into a learning centre in May 2024 for just under $250,000 by the Children’s Ark for migrant/refugee Venezuelan children.

Simone De la Bastide said after a meeting between Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, the Living Water Community, the Migrant Ministry, and St Dominic’s RC Penal Parish, it was decided that two centres would be established, one in Penal and another in Santa Cruz.

Bilingual volunteers from the Roman Catholic church as well as the members of the community assist with the teaching.

The Children’s Ark, located at 7 Fitzblackman Drive, Woodbrook, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) geared towards improving the lives of institutionalised children or any individual child or body in dire need.

Its objectives are to focus on children from birth to 16 years of age in T&T who are in desperate need, with a view to positive lifestyle changes wherever possible.

Other than working with the young migrants, the Children’s Ark has also partnered with the Inter-Agency Task Force, the Daren Ganga Foundation, and the Each One Teach One school at Beetham to accommodate a sports programme for eight months, featuring football and cricket, involving 200 young residents.

The NGO is also building a home for the founder of the All In One Child Development Centre and the Each One Teach One school in Beetham, assisting a seven-year-old boy to attend a special needs school, partnering with LWC and speech therapist Wendy Gomez.

Father Robert Christo, who recently transferred to the Arima/Malabar district, was parish priest when the centre was commissioned.

“We are doing a holistic education option and to infiltrate them with values and ethics,” he said.

He said they wanted to play a significant role in integrating Venezuelan children into the system and teach them Christian values.

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