Govt provides new home for family of disabled girl

This year may just be a better one for Rajnee Samlal, 11, of Wilson Road, Penal.  Rajnee was born disabled. She is unable to walk and lives with her parents in a small shack. She has never attended school and she has a speech problem. Her mother is unable to read and her father cuts grass for a living.

However, Rajnee’s living conditions are expected to improve this year as in a week’s time, her family will vacate their plywood shack and move into one of the houses constructed by the Government to assist single mothers and needy families, through a housing programme supervised by the Ministry of Local Government and the National Commission for Self Help Ltd.

Local Government Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan visited the Samlal family and the sites where five of these homes are being constructed in rural communities in south Trinidad, on New Year’s Day. Rambachan said the home for Rajnee and her family was constructed with a wheelchair ramp and other fittings for disabled people. The minister said he has also organised for the child to get a speech therapist. He has also put measures in place for Rajnee to attend school.

Rambachan said the programme to construct the houses started after it was announced in the last budget. He said 100 of these houses were being built in this fiscal year at a cost of $100,000 each. Construction of homes in Caroni and Arima is expected to start later this month.

The minister said he would like to see the business community and well-to-do people start taking on a wider social role and assist needy families in their communities so they do not fall through the cracks. He said he viewed this as investing in people and would one day be able to contribute in a positive manner to society. Rambachan said applications for housing were being assessed.

He said recommendations were being made through the offices of all MPs.