Mother to a community, ‘Gogo’ Lynn provides a home for orphaned children
What Esther Lynn brings to her community is more than childcare, important though it may be, she is a mother, grandmother or shoulder to cry on for anyone who needs it.
With Mother’s Day looming, few deserve to be celebrated more than Esther ‘Gogo’ Lynn of Summerhill House.
Born and raised in Etete, Esther has been helping her community for more than 40 years.
While working as a domestic worker for Salt Rock resident Paula Owen, Esther began taking orphaned children into her home, raising 12 over the course of 22 years.
With Owen, Esther co-founded Summerhill House in Etete in 2007 and the orphanage continues to be a lighthouse in the community.
“Paula is the one who got Summerhill House off the ground, without her I never would have been able to get the funding or support that I needed,” said Esther.
For 8 years, the orphanage ran from her home but there is now a fully fledged campus with a classroom, play area and room for 12 children.
“We are trying to build another two blocks so that we can take up to 24 children. For the moment we have 9 children full time.”
Children from ages 0 – 3 are accepted and have full time care with a live-in house mother, including schooling and food.
“People were suffering in this community 15 years ago and they are still suffering today. We do everything we can to help.”
Aside from the childcare on the property, Esther and the other staff at Summerhill House fulfill many other parental duties for people in the community.
A 17-year-old boy visited Esther during lockdown and admitted that he was close to suicide because he was not able to finish school.
“The boy had worked hard, but he could not get a birth certificate to write his matric exams. He came to me crying and I knew we had to help.”
Esther was able to find his birth records at Stanger Hospital and help him through the requisite process at home affairs – he is set to graduate at the end of this year.
This is but one of the many people that have arrived at her door for help and she continues to work daily for the betterment of Etete, even at 68.
What Esther brings to her community is more than childcare, important though it may be, she is a mother, grandmother or shoulder to cry on for anyone who needs it.
“We sit, we talk, we pray and we smile. Sometimes all the person needs is someone to listen to them when they have been ignored their whole lives.”
