Janitor Juline Johnson happy to serve for 30 years

This year, September to be precise, marks three decades in the life of the Sunbeam Early Childhood Development Centre, a pre-school and kindergarten institution run by the Meadowvale Seventh Day Adventist church. It is also the 30th anniversary for one worker at the school – Juline Johnson – the janitor who proudly proclaims to all and sundry that she loves her God and the job with which he has blessed her.

Thirty years might sound like a long time to be working at one place, but for Johnson, for whom those years represent exactly half of her lifetime, the decades seem to have gone by on wings.

“I remember everything clearly. I heard that the church was opening the basic school for the September [period], and I decide that I was going [to] ask my church sister, Sister Lawrence, to give me the job as the janitor. I can’t believe that 30 years pass so quick. It don’t feel so long at all,” Johnson said.

Having made her pitch to Daphne Lawrence, who was the first principal of Sunbeam, it was a done deal, with Johnson happily counting her blessings and feeling that she had received the better part of the deal. For starters, it meant that work was walking distance from her home, so there was no bus fare to pay; her daughter was starting school that same year, and so she took her to Sunbeam, although she had registered her at another school prior; she had access to lunch free of cost, plus, she would be paid during the summer when school was on break.

But there was also another major reason for Johnson’s joy. “The children!” she said, sounding like an excited kindergartener.

“Mi love dem, and dem love me. The children mek mi laugh and keep me happy. Everybody call me Auntie Juline. Is a whole heap of dem pass through my hands yuh nuh. And I also have a niece who attended Sunbeam too. When the children leave here and go on to other schools, anywhere, dem see Auntie Juline dem shout mi out. As to the ones who go on to St Richards [Primary], if I see dem on Red Hills Road, all I can hear is ‘Auntie Juline!’... and mi feel proud when dem pass GSAT and PEP and go to high school,” Johnson said, laughing as she shared treasured memories.

CORE FUNCTION

Over the years, Johnson has assisted in other areas, such as running a few errands for the school, but she has always remained cognisant of her core function, which is to keep her area as clean as a whistle. Whether it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, during or after, Johnson noted that cleanliness has always been a top priority at the Sunbeam Early Childhood Development Centre.

“We are a church school, and everybody know that cleanliness is next to godliness. We mek sure that the kids wash dem hands before and after dem eat. The little ones always have somebody to follow dem to the bathroom, and my bathroom must always be clean for my children to use. I also mek sure that the tables are clean ... the floors have to wipe nice. And the children love the clean surroundings, that help dem to learn better. That’s another reason why our children here are so bright,” Johnson said.

And it is a job which the church says that Johnson has performed exceptionally well over the years. A church member, Winsome Davis, showered Johnson with accolades, noting especially the thoroughness with which she performs her duties, her honesty and integrity and her love for service.

“Sister Juline is extremely hard-working and takes pride in her work. She is thorough in her cleaning. The children can always depend on her for assistance. She helps them with their lunch [and] takes them to the bathroom. She is honest with her work and very trustworthy. She really takes time out to care for those who are both young and old. Once she recognises that you have a need, especially if you are not well, she is going to go the extra mile to help you. One of the ways that we saw that dedication was with her mother. Her mother died earlier this year, and she served her mother with such distinction,” Davis said.

A proud Johnson shared that she has received two long service awards from Sunbeam for her dedicated service over the years. Sunbeam, which has been celebrating its anniversary this week under the theme, ‘30 Years of Educating for Time and Eternity’, will be hosting an appreciation service for the staff on Sunday at Boone Hall in St Andrew. Johnson could possibly be called upon to collect her third award.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com