PETERSFIELD, Westmoreland – In September, Garnet and his wife Camille Ebanks-Foster opened their home in Bullet Tree, Petersfield, Westmoreland, to children in their community.

What started off with two children has now blossomed into what residents are calling the Fosters’ school.

“Not many of these children have Internet access at their homes,” Camille Ebanks-Foster told the Jamaica Observer West.

“We are fortunate to have, so I invited one child over and more started coming.”

She explained that with four children of their own, two in high school, one at primary school and the youngest almost two years old, they were at first timid to allow more children because of the fear of bringing the novel coronavirus into their space.

“But we couldn’t say no,” she stressed. “So that one told another and every day we keep getting an additional student until now sometimes we have up to 12 children at a time, but I’m really not counting. We are so busy with them I cannot truly say how many pass through each day.”

She further explained that some of the children are on a shift system, so when they leave another set comes, adding that sometimes children are at the house until late in the evening.

“We have children from Early Childhood Institutions (ECI), we have high school children, we have primary school children, and two students preparing for PEP [Primary Exit Profile],” Ebanks-Foster shared, noting that students of varying ages attend their home.

Additionally, she said that they not only allow the children to use the Internet, but they also assist them with their schoolwork.

And noting that some of these children are from households that do not have devices, the Fosters have allowed them to use their personal phones to access their school assignments. Both have also joined various WhatsApp school groups in order to receive communication from the teachers of each child.

Ebanks-Foster pointed out that some of the students there cannot read and so her husband Garnet has had to teach them how. “This is when we realised that many of them needed more than just the Wi-Fi and that they also needed our guidance and help to understand each task that was set,” she said.

She pointed out that Garnet is up from 5:00 most mornings teaching children how to read.

“None of us are teachers,” Camille said, noting that in a viral video that highlighted their work, she joked and said, “I can now get my bachelor’s in education.”

Garnet lost his job due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that has caused massive job loss across the island, and Camille had, prior to the pandemic, resigned from working to stay at home and provide care to their youngest child.

But being without a job did not stop them from providing assistance to the visiting children.

“Some children come with their lunch, but some simply cannot afford it. I am not going to see a child without food and not feed him. Whatever little we have is shared to ensure that everybody eats,” Ebanks-Foster shared.

She stated that they have received assistance from several individuals without asking them for help.

“Some parents have contributed whatever they can, whenever they can. We don’t ask anyone for anything. Our focus is on the children, ensuring that they can access their schoolwork and that they understand it,” she argued.

She told the Observer West that the principal of Petersfield Primary and Infant School, Susan Rattray-Hammond, heard about their work with the children and had dropped off some supplies for them.

Additionally, entertainer Shevin Jarret, who goes by the stage name Jafrass, a native of the community, brought his neighbour to the Fosters as he was concerned that the child was not doing any schoolwork, and asked what was needed.

“That is how we got the desks outside. We asked him for a few sheets of ply board so we can make some desks and that was his contribution,” Ebanks-Foster stated, adding, “We are grateful for the small assistance as it is helping these children a lot.”

When asked how they survive without salaries, Ebanks-Foster stated that “by the grace of God”.

“But I go by the saying, each one helps one. I say, ‘Lord, if I can help someone as I go along, my living will not be in vain. ‘ ”

Bullet Tree resident Christopher Jones, a parent of two of the children who work from the Fosters’ residence, has praised the couple for their assistance.

“I’m a cab driver and when this online thing started it was very challenging for me,” he told the Observer West. “I have two sons, one is 15 years old and the other is nine years old. If I leave them at home I know that no work would get done, so them being at the Fosters is a good thing, because I couldn’t help them much as I don’t understand the work,” he argued.

“If I send them there without breakfast I know they are going to get breakfast,” he added, pointing out that the children are getting more than just Wi-Fi access.

“They [Foster] are a blessing to us here in the community,” he stressed.

Manning’s School first form student, 12- year-old Akeeliah Foster, told the Observer West that, “I have better Internet access when I am there [at the Fosters]. At first I didn’t like the online school because it was difficult for me to understand the assignments. But when I started coming up to Uncle Garnet’s [Fosters] house, I got help and I now prefer online school, because he showed me how to do the work…so I can have a better understanding,” said Akeeliah, who is Garnett’s cousin.