(Jamaica Observer) Exactly one month after sharing her story in the Sunday Observer, Kerry-Ann Anderson, the mother of five sets of twins, has since been employed full-time on the ancillary staff at the Hydel Group of Schools in St Catherine.
When the story broke in February, president of the school, Hyacinth Bennett offered full tuition scholarships to all of Anderson’s 10 living children, and to the struggling mother, an offer of employment on the school grounds to get her on her feet. Anderson has since taken up that offer.
“She is now a full member of the ancillary staff and she has been put in charge of cleaning just one section of the school,” said Bennett when the Sunday Observervisited the school on Friday.
Anderson said that her new-found employment will go a far way in helping out the household of 14 where she also lives with her mother, Patricia Bryan.
When the Sunday Observer first met Anderson, she explained that although she wished she could work, she had to stay at home to look after the youngest of her children, two sets of twin girls, six months old, and two years old, respectively.
“Mi would a like a good likkle work in a restaurant or hotel, but because mi have the babies them, mi cyah just leave them like dat. It would a look selfish. Mi affi wait ’til dem reach certain age.”
However, with all the children now attending the same school, this is no longer a challenge.
“This is a big help for me right now. I’m very thankful for the work, and especially mi mother, she feel good because I wasn’t working plus I had the babies. But now that they are all here, I can come and work and still be near them. So she glad say them take all of the kids them because I don’t have to leave the baby them anywhere.
Meanwhile, principal of the school, Ann Bell said Anderson has settled in well with the staff at Hydel Group of Schools.
“I see where she is really making an effort to get her job done. She is very professional and businesslike, and she is doing a very good job. She is interacting well with the staff and students and the babies have settled very well, especially the twins”, said Bell.
Of the 10 children, Anderson said nine have been enrolled since March 4. Her other son, Mario Cameron, a budding track and field athlete, wished to stay on at Bridgeport High school where he competes on the school track team.
“Him say him want stay a Bridgeport until September come, him can start come here”, Anderson said.
Anderson also said that one of her daughters, Angel Cameron, will especially benefit from the academic programmes at Hydel as she prepares to sit her PEP exams.
“Since she come here, the teachers them try fit her in and help her with PEP. Them have a Saturday PEP class, so she can go and catch up where she can catch up.”
In the meantime, Anderson said the traffic in the mornings will take some getting used to.
“Because of di traffic mi affi leave out early inna di morning to reach here before 7 o’clock. And when mi reach all the schoolchildren them take the babies from me and even some a di teacher them. Them nice man. I love it here so mi will gwaan stay,” said Anderson.
