Belmont family seeks financial assistance to restart life

As the rain poured in Belmont, Neisha Ramsaroop and her husband Vijay Pearalal stared into the distance in the direction of what used to be their home.

Six months ago, Ramsaroop’s life descended into darkness, as the place she once knew as home for 25 years was gutted by fire.

As the tears pooled in her eyes, she recalled the day of the tragedy.

“That day was the 24th of June. I dropped my children to school. I went to work, he (husband Vijay) went to work. I get a call in work around lunchtime, and they told me my house is burning down. By the time I reached up here, the house burnt down flat. I have no idea how the house burnt down. I lost everything.”

The 43-year-old mother of six, and grandmother of one, said after losing her home her life has not been the same. Her family, which comprises of her husband, six children, all between the ages of 25 to 11, and her two-year-old grandson, were now at the mercy of others for help since they had nowhere else to go. With a pained expression, Ramsaroop told Guardian Media, “It was hard.”

Shortly after their house burned down, Ramsaroop was fired from her job, leaving the bulk of their growing expenses on her husband.

“Right now, I home. Since my house burnt down, well, where I used to work, they fired me. My husband is a mechanic, he works right down the hill.”

Seemingly a bit embarrassed, she admitted that it was difficult to cope with their mounting costs.

She quietly whispered, “That become a struggle, because he is the only breadwinner now, he is the only one working. I looking for work right now and work hard to get.”

Despite their tribulations, however, Ramsaroop’s main concern is always providing for their children’s needs.

With a trembling voice, she explained how she herself coped with the loss.

“I real cry, knowing you lost everything, and you’ll have to start from scratch, that was the hardest thing. And them children, what go through my mind is where them children going to stay the night, where the next meal coming, if they have to be on the road or what. That is the hardest thing for me.”

Apart from this, Ramsaroop’s 13-year-old twins are set to sit the Secondary Entrance Assessment exam next April but have lost all their school supplies.

She lamented, “I lost their tablets, computers, the phones and thing they lost, the clothes everything.”

She revealed that slowly, they have raised the funds to repurchase school supplies but residents from the area also helped them ensure their kids had what they needed to return to school.

“Piece, piece we trying. Buy piece, piece still to go to school and thing. Still, we get help from the neighbour to help us buy some books and thing, and we thankful for that.”

Since the incident, Ramsaroop says she has contacted the relevant authorities and even her councillor for help, but none came.

Ramsaroop’s family has been temporarily re-homed by her husband’s uncle. However, within six months’ time they must find somewhere else to stay.

“Remember, you staying by people place. You don’t have your own. Here we get for six months, but after six months, we don’t know, where we’ll end up”

And while they are grateful for somewhere to rest their heads as they try to restart their lives, their current living conditions are less than ideal.

“The back of the house cave down. One room mash-up, we getting some leaks and thing in the house.”

Ramsaroop said when they first moved into where they are currently staying, it was much worse.

With a half-smile gracing her face, Ramsaroop revealed, “It was a total mess, mud, slush all over. It is night and day. His friend was there right through for us. He was there with us right through, helping us clean everything. If you had seen here, you would have said you would run from it too.”

She says things are difficult for them with Christmas approaching, but she is still thankful for what they have.

“They have a home still, that’s the main thing. They have something over their head still.”

Misfortunes never come singly either. Along with all the present complications, Ramsaroop still has another to add.

“I living with one kidney, I did a surgery five years ago. I have an infection in my lungs.”

She is also going through the public healthcare system to perform a biopsy to determine whether she has throat cancer. Despite this, she has not lost hope.

“But I cannot take on the stress right now. The main thing is to focus on your children and believe there’s a God. You will get through with everything. Once you pray, you will get through.”

Ramsaroop says their next plan is to build a galvanised shack where their first home once was.

Anyone wanting to assist Ramsaroop and her family can call 359-3494 or 762-0290.

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