Clarendon’s good samaritan continues to help others
OLIVE Lewis has been carrying on a tradition left by her parents – helping the needy in her Clarendon community.
Lewis, 70, who has lived in Clarendon all her life, said she feels a deep need to help others. “Helping people keeps me young. I love to be kind to people. At my 70th birthday party the wife of the principal of Clarendon College said to me that my basket will never be empty. I know that my reward will be great in heaven.”
She told the Observer that her mother and father were very kind to the people in the area, giving them clothes and food, and even lending some money. “It was said about my mother that if you went to her and could not get anything, it didn’t make sense going anywhere else. My parents always helped the people in the area. My father cultivated his ground and my mother was a housewife. They had seven girls and five boys. The children, as they grew older, would send things like money and clothes to my mother and that is where she would get things to distribute to persons in the community.”
Born on December 18, 1932, Lewis was the fifth child born in Andrew Hill, Clarendon. “I attended Frankfield Primary and after that I did the First, Second, and Third Jamaica Local Exams. When I passed these exams, I taught for a while, but I didn’t love teaching so I decided to learn typing and shorthand from a lady in Frankfield. After learning secretarial skills, I went to Edwin Allen Comprehensive to work as an administrative clerk. While working there I would help students by boarding some, buying books, giving lunch money, giving bus tickets.”
She noted that even though she retired from Edwin Allen 10 years ago a number of people, including students, still come to my home everyday. “Even the mentally-ill in the area come to see me for food or clothes.”
Lewis, said none of her six children nor the two she raised have ever been jealous of children who come to her for help. Helping others, she added, is a trait that she has passed on to her children and grandchildren who send money and even bring needy children to her attention.
She said that it gives her a sense of achievement when she is able to help others.
“It feels good. I feels good to know that I can help people. One thing that I do is take in other people’s children. I have never legally adopted any, they just live with me. When I take them in, I send them to school. One of the children that I helped went to Clarendon College and he is now a doctor. Many of the people that I help have turned out to be professional people such as teachers and doctors. One of the students that I boarded was Dr Samuel Porter. He was a student at Edwin Allen and stayed at my home until he graduated. After that he went to Campion College in Kingston and then on to Russia to study medicine. Upon completion of his studies in Russia, he worked at KPH and Savanna-la-Mar Hospital before he migrated to Long Island in America.” Another success story is Dr Brennon at Chapelton Hospital. “He always calls me and sends Mother’s Day cards.”
Her most recent success story is Peter Kelly, a first-year student in the faculty of Natural Sciences at UWI. Lewis told the Observer how she came to be his guardian. “My granddaughter is a guidance counsellor at Clarendon College. She came and told me about this little fellow who didn’t have anyone. His parents had died and his cousins had turned him out of their house. No one was willing to help him. He slept on the grounds of Clarendon College, but the principal of the school said that this could not go on. I was moved to help and I said that he could stay with me. He lived with me for two years and he has done his ‘A’ Levels and now is at the University of the West Indies.”
Seated beside the woman he calls ‘Mom’, Peter spoke about what she means to him. “To me, she has helped me in every way a mother can help. She is also a good friend. She has a listening ear and always a word of advise for any situation. The two years that I have spent with her will have a lifetime effect on me. I will never forget her. I have seen so many examples of the way she and her family help people and I have also in turn helped people at school with me.” He continued, “another thing that I have learned is that many people think that you can do enough for people. But I have learned that the more you do is the more blessings that are in store for you.”
And one of Lewis’ newest boarders is Simoye Rowe, 11. Her young charge has been living with her for the past 14 months and eagerly looks forward to taking her GSAT and eventually becoming a teacher.
Lewis explained how Simoye came to be in her care. “My daughter teaches at Frankfield Primary school where she attended. My daughter used to bring Simoye to visit me. One day, I asked the little girl if she wanted to live with me and the same day, she went home for her clothes. But she is not cut off from her family. She has seven other brothers and sister along with her parents that she sees each weekend.”
During our interview, Simoye never left Lewis’ side, a testament to the love shared between the two. When asked how she feels about living with Lewis, Simoye smiles deeply and says simply, “good”.
Lewis, laughingly, could not say how exactly many children she had helped, but said about 20 had lived with her permanently before leaving for university and over 30 have come and gone from her house over the years. Of these she said, “on birthdays and Christmas some remember me and call. In fact, a lot remember me and I get a lot of calls.”
However, not all the persons whom Lewis has helped were grateful. “One young man who is a teacher now, does not speak to me. I helped him to get into UWI initially and then he had the rest of his education paid for by student loans. However, when he graduated and was working, he did not want to pay back his student loans. When I wrote him a letter telling him to pay back his loans, he became angry with me and has not spoken to me since.” Another story of ungratefulness concerns not a student, but a household helper.
“I had a helper for three years who helped to take care of my 89 year-old uncle who lives with me. During the time that she worked for me, I would feed and clothe both she and her children. When she first came to work for me she was very thin. After a few short months, she put on weight and the people in the district made comments on how she looked good. That was to show you the level of care I gave my helper. While she was working for me, she also had a part-time job working at Edwin Allen as an office attendant. Towards the end of the three years that she was with me, she started to behave very badly. She would curse me and call me old fool, and talk at the top of her voice to me and tell me how she don’t have time to worry about my uncle as she has her other job to get to. I would say to her why are you behaving like this when I am paying you to do a job for me? She would always reply, I don’t care, I am a busy woman. So one day I said that she must go. I couldn’t take it anymore. Now just recently, she asked one of my friends to try to get back the job with me. She is sorry that she was so feisty with me. But I refuse to take her back.”
Nonetheless, Lewis said, “I never feel too frustrated, I just keep going and helping people. In the future I will continue to help people. Sometimes when people are ungrateful to me I think that I will stop helping, but I can’t, it is a part of me.”
Peter added that in “20 years from now, I know that she will have some little one living with her”.
Otherwise from being a good Samaritan, Lewis has been the secretary at Frankfield Methodist Christ Church for the past 12 years. Outside of her work as a secretary, one of her hobbies is reciting poetry. “I am always called to recite poetry at the area churches and at church functions. My other hobby is cooking and baking. I cook and share for my neighbours. I always have a big pot on the stove.”
She added: “God always provides for me and I have a need to help people. In terms of finance, I have a son who is a doctor and he takes good care of me. Also, my children and family members send money and clothes for the children that I take in.”
Her advice for Jamaica was: “Work hard, trust the Lord and he will take care of you. And try to help others, don’t care how small, especially the less fortunate.”