Noreen and Ryan Home, Dominghia, Guinea Early in 2011 a large sign was erected at the entrance to the center being developed at Dominghia village, District of Boffa in the Republic of Guinea (West Africa). The sign heralds Centre Noreen and Ryan Home. The former Anglican mission station was rented at a nominal annual fee of one dollar a year for ten years by the Anglican Diocese of Guinea to NGO/ONG Groupe Lyceum (LGL) as a rural development center for the roughly 15,000 inhabitants of the surrounding area. Since 2009 LGL has steadily renovated the second oldest Anglican Church building in Guinea (January 11, 1862) as a community center, built an office and housing block on the derelict foundations of a missionary home, added a health care center, and is poised to finally build a polio rehabilitation center for disabled children.
The Noreen and Ryan Home has become a Mecca to local and international visitors and volunteers with its successful rural development programs, a center of safety and hope, and a growing team of trained local Guinean professionals.
What’s in a Name?
Noreen Althea Tompkins (nee Kelly) was born in 1918 in Millville, New Brunswick as the grand-niece of Rev. Ida Morgan Keirstead. Ida and her husband Rev. Isaac Keirstead moved to South Africa as missionaries in 1905 and young Noreen grew up with the fabled stories and knowledge of the family roots in Africa. Daughter Lynne Tompkins was born in 1947 and ultimately became the wife of Dr. Kenneth E. Keirstead. Noreen suffered a debilitating stroke in 2004 while living with Lynne and Ken in Fredericton and finally passed away in 2007. In spite of her disability Noreen was acutely aware of Ken’s frequent trips to Guinea, and on every return would want to see pictures of the children of Guinea and listen to stories of the very marginalized little children who had suffered polio. Noreen was honored as the matriarch of the descendents of her great aunt Ida Morgan by an official visit to her home by President and First Lady Toure of Mali in 2005.
Ken returned from Guinea just days before Noreen died. She was partly comatose when Ken visited her. After touching her face and identifying himself, Noreen woke abruptly and asked, “Are you looking after the children?”
Ryan Thomas McCarthy-Gunn was a 10 year old grade 5 student in Moncton, New Brunswick in Canada. He lived with his father Paul Gunn, and step-mother Helen Macnab-Gunn. He had 4 sisters, one younger and 3 older. He was a very happy child who loved learning, theatre, music, having fun and doing anything creative. He volunteered at school, loved going to camp and being with other people of any age. Ryan felt very fortunate for everything he had and was always concerned for people who had less. One of the things he enjoyed most was getting together with his extended family, often numbering more than 40 people.
His family writes:
“Christmas has always been a big celebration in our family. After the last Christmas Ryan was with us, he told us that he thought we should change how we celebrated and move away from so many gifts to each other and instead do something that would help the less fortunate. He said he had everything he needed and more than he ever wanted. Instead of giving so much to each other, why don’t we start to do something for families that didn’t have even the basics? Ryan was a big dreamer and one of his dreams was to make wishes come true for other people.
Ryan’s thoughts and discussions with our family left a profound impact on us. After he passed away, March 21, 2006, our family created Ryan’s Wish. We decided to cut down on what was being spent on each other at Christmas and establish a charity in his name – Ryan’s Wish. Donations collected will be used to make a difference in the lives of many families, as his love of life made an impact on ours”.
The extended families of Noreen and Ryan decided to “adopt” the LGL project in Dominghia, and thus celebrate and honor their memory. Their wish to help others and share the benefits of life and hope would thus live on.
