Latest update March 21st, 2025 5:03 AM
An orphan and that family feeling
By Romila Boodram
While many orphans yearn to have a “movie-like” Christmas, 14-year-old Tiffani James said she has received all she ever dreamt of and that is a family who loves and cares for her.
One of Tiffani’s little friends at the Centre, Radesh Lilman
Tiffani, who has been living at the Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre for the past four years with her 12-year-old sister, Omekia, enjoys each and every moment she spends at the facility.
The Ruimveldt Children Home and Care Centre is a Non- Governmental Organization which was established on November 18, 2006 and to date, houses 22 children and provides a 24-hour care service.
For the past few years the children at the home have been celebrating the event together as “one big family” and according to Tiffani, life couldn’t have been better.
She said during the Christmas season she would normally help the caretakers in the kitchen with the cooking.
The 14-year-old, who is a fourth form student at South Ruimveldt Secondary School, recalled some of her experiences before she moved to the Children’s Home.
She said she once lived with her parents and six siblings at Good Intent, West Coast Demerara. “We had a wonderful time. At Christmas, we would bake, cook all the fancy dishes and open our Christmas gifts.”
For Tiffani, those are the moments she will always cherish. She said she had a lovely family, until life for her took an unexpected turn.
She said, sometime in 2008, her mother became ill and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. She passed away the following day.
Tiffani says life after her mother’s death was terrible. She explained that her father became “disoriented” and “put us out.”
“Some of my siblings went their own way, some went with other relatives, and me and my small sister went by my grandmother.”
It was in that same year that Tiffani’s father went to jail while she and her sister were sent to the orphan’s home.
“At first I didn’t want to stay, I wanted to go back home, but after spending time here with the children and the caretakers I really liked it.”
According to Tiffani, it feels as if she once again has a family.
“It is more fun here because they are persons who love and care for us and I enjoy staying here. Especially when Christmas comes around; I love it at Christmas!”
Tiffani James
Tiffani opined that if she had to make a choice between living at the Care Centre or with her “blood relatives”, she would definitely choose the latter because she has found “real love and happiness.”
When asked whether she misses her family she replied in the negative. “No. Because they check us out when they could…that’s enough. My siblings come sometimes to see us and my father recently came out of jail and he would come every month.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Govt. to scrap children’s textbook that attacks former Toshao
Kaieteur News- Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain, issued an apology on Thursday afternoon, after the current Toshao... more
If Guyana’s President Ali is the “Zelensky of the Caribbean”, who is the Putin?
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS, Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- In the latest... more
Weekend Cartoon
