ST JAMES, Jamaica- After a three-year break due to the novel coronavirus (COVID) pandemic, the wards of the state at the SOS Children’s Village are back enjoying their yearly week-long football camp.

Sponsored by the Rose Hall Developments Limited, the wards from both the Barrett Town Village and some from Stony Hill went through five days of practice sessions at Rose Hall in St James.

Majorie Elliott, interim national director for the SOS Children’s Village, says the camp, which was introduced 20 years ago, was a welcomed return of the much-appreciated programme for the children.

“It’s an opportunity for them to be outside of the houses. In COVID, they were unable to do this sort of thing and it’s good to see them back again,” she told the OBSERVER ONLINE at the closing ceremony for the camp.

“They have also been in school for the entire year and now this a very good break for them to be away from the village,” she further highlighted.

Some 50 wards from the two villages participated in the camp, 40 from Barrett Town and 10 from Stony Hill.

During the camp, they learned a variety of skills related to football and also practical application of those skills on the field.

Elliot noted that there are wards at the camp who are participating for the first time.

She used the opportunity to express gratitude to the partners including Rose Hall Developments and the Rollins family for making the camp again a reality.

“We are grateful,” she stressed.

The Rollins family has been an integral part of the programme and according to Richard Burrowes, president of Rose Hall Developments, they have been looking forward to the return of the camp as much as the children.

“Every year we talked about it, even during COVID Mark [Rollins] wanted to come down and do it and we were like ‘Mark it’s just not possible, you know you got to give us some time’,” Burrowes remarked.

He expressed delight that the camp could now be held.

“We really felt that now was really the opportunity, we’re not in masks, we’re not constrained, we can finally let loose again and get rid of those shackles from COVID, so it’s a nice thing,” he explained.