“Finally, for one night we will not have to get wet,” exclaimed Neesha Wattley as she stepped into her brand new Housing Development Corporation (HDC) home at Eden Gardens, Freeport, with her husband and four young children.
The family had been living on the river bank off Factory Road, Perseverance Road, Freeport, for the past seven years in a tiny shack with a dirt floor, no running water and no electricity.
Putting her hand over her mouth in surprise as her face lit up, an overwhelmed Wattley thanked Housing Minister Randall Mitchell, HDC and everyone who helped to make her dream come true.
Mitchell decided to make the family the 1013th to receive a HDC home in the last month after their sad plight was highlighted in the media. The family's living condition was also highlighted in June 2014 when their six-month-old baby died. The former government intervened and promised to help but nothing had been done.
Wattley, and her husband, Chris Rambhal, are market vendors.
Their four children are Ezekel, eight, a pupil at the Enterprise Government School, Elesha, five, Eteisha, four, both kindergarten school pupils, and Equeisha, one.
Speaking at the simple ceremony where she received her keys, Wattley said: "My living wise for seven years was on the ground more like it. We did not have anything. My girls' teacher was our supplier of everything." She said another parent supplied the children with meals most days. “It had times we had nothing at all but God and faith kept us up.”
She urged other people in her position not to give up. She and her husband thanked everyone who helped them. Rambhal promised to keep the house clean and maintained to the best of his ability.
Mitchell said he was really moved that in spite of the challenges, Wattley and her husband stuck together and made sure they sent their children to school. The minister said a corporate citizen also pledged to pay the family’s rent for the HDC house for three years. Within that time, he said he will be making arrangements for the couple to undergo programmes through the National Training Agency so they could be in a better position to sustain their family and home.
Courts Ltd also gave the family a $20,000 credit voucher to shop at any branch, while Direct TV gave them an entertainment set. Also attending the function was HDC chairman Newman George.