The Ranfurly Home for Children was created out of an urgent need and crisis: In the mid-1950s, downtown Nassau Bahamas experienced a devastating fire. During the aftermath and clean up, Lady Hermoine Ranfurly, wife of the then Governor-General, the Earl of Ranfurly, discovered a group of homeless children sleeping in cardboard boxes in buildings and alleys near the burnt buildings.

Countess of Ranfurly, and the children she helped – 1950’s Mackey Street, Bahamas.

Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly, was moved by what she saw and used her local and international contacts to make a change. Together with the Queen Mary’s Sewing Guild (renamed the Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild in 2010), Lady Ranfurly began galvanizing worldwide support for the creation of a home for the children. Just six months after securing a spacious property on Mackey Street with room for children to play under the shade of Poinciana and Sapodilla trees, the patrons and caregivers at Ranfurly welcomed the first residents into their full-time care.

Today, the Bahamas charity continues to fulfill Lady Hermione Ranfurly’s objectives:

1. To provide a home for Bahamian children who are orphaned or who through sickness or some grave misfortune, find themselves alone in the world.
2. To maintain and educate these children until such time as they are fit and able to support themselves.
3. To assist them, on leaving the home or homes, to make a decent start in life and obtain suitable employment.
4. It is believed that if the home or homes are properly run, these children will become responsible and useful citizens of The Bahamas.
5. It is thought that by alleviating suffering, these homes will act as a preventive to delinquency. But the homes will in no way be delinquent homes or places of punishment.
6. It is our wish that the religion of every child in our care shall be respected and they shall be able to attend their own place of worship.
7. It is our intention that the children in our homes shall benefit from existing youth organizations such as the Boys Scouts, Girl Guides, the Dundas Centre, and other fitting children’s organizations.

At Ranfurly, we take care of the whole child. We aim to ensure that children in our care are afforded their rights as outlined in our statement of the rights of a child. In addition, we make sure that our children feel comfortable and that they develop a sense of self-worth. We aim to offer our children a place where they can feel safe and secure, but moreover, to provide a place that they can call a home.

As we keep the direction by partnering with local and international organizations to further enhance the lives of Ranfurly residents, we also plan for the future of Ranfurly:

1. Transitional housing for older residents.
2. Onsite school.
3. Securing job opportunities and scholarships for outgoing residents.
4. Enhancing the current dormitory facilities at the home.