Tiny Hope coming with big dreams for orphans
Published:Wednesday | January 4, 2017 | 12:00 AMCecelia Campbell Livingston
American missionary and real estate worker Greg Netro and his team have big plans for Jamaica's orphans and it all started with a little girl who deeply touched their hearts.
Her nickname is Tiny and their hope for her future saw the initiative Tiny Hope becoming a reality.
For more than 10 years, Netro had been doing mission work with a church in the United States and after several mission trips, Netro and two other persons - Alex and Denise Pecci started Tiny Hope four years ago.
"We really saw the need for community support after getting into the various areas in and around St Ann and developing a relationship with the people and the community, as well as the St Ann's Bay Infirmary," Netro told Rural Xpress.
After getting to know and loving the people and understanding the needs the team is now doing all they can to support - through providing lacking resources, spiritual guidance and instilling hope.
Last month (December), the team provided cheer to children in Chester and Golden Grove, St Ann when more than 40 volunteers flew to Jamaica to share the Christmas spirit taking with them toys and other goodies which they distributed to the needy.
"Our mission is to go, rescue and raise up abandoned and abused children in the name of Jesus. We also want to create a self-sustaining place in Jamaica that will be a lifeline for the children who have stolen our hearts and for many more," he shared.
ULTIMATE GOAL
Netro's ultimate goal is to build an orphanage in Jamaica which will offer a whole lot of other amenities.
With his 'dream plan' already laid out, he shared some of it with Rural Xpress.
Among his ambitious goals for the proposed site - Tiny Hope are to establish multiple homes within a campus consisting of both boys and girls homes and will also include an administration building, counselling centre, chapel, music department, athletic centre, barn, equestrian programme, livestock, and farming centre.
Netro said it will be an open, natural setting which offers children countless recreational opportunities including music worship, fishing, horseback riding, and organised athletics.
"The loving care of live-in houseparent couples will be supported and enhanced by professional, on-site counsellors. A ranch manager will teach self-reliance and personal pride through farm work. Recreational experts will manage aquatic, equestrian, and sports activities, while volunteers will contribute in a variety of important ways," revealed Netro.
The project according to Netro is being funded by donations and they will be accepting both cash and kind locally and internationally.
He said work has already started on developing the actual land a few months ago with the project now under site development.
Netro who is affiliated with Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Florida said he now considers himself a 'Jamerican' as he has totally adopted Jamaica and Jamaicans.