$20,000 from Self Help for 19 fire victims

Carenage fire victim Patricia Jeffers and her family of 19, whose house was destroyed by fire on Sunday morning, will receive $20,000 in building materials to start reconstruction from the National Commission For Self Help, an agency of the Ministry of Local Government. 

Chairman of the commission Surujdeo Mangaroo and CEO Reynold Baldeosingh visited the family yesterday and pledged the organisation's support. Mangaroo said the assistance, which fell under the emergency relief assistance grant provided by the commission, would enable the family to rebuild their house at the corner of Rodney and Dahlia Streets, Point Cumana.

 
Mangaroo also called on corporate entities in the community to assist the family. He also said in addition to rebuilding the house, the family needed mattresses, household appliances, clothing and food. 

Diego Martin Regional Corporation’s Disaster Management Unit co-ordinator Jerry David said the family had already been given immediate relief.

He added: “On the very day of the fire, the corporation was there and brought immediate relief to the victims in the form of food, clothing and water. “They decided that they were going to stay by relatives last night and we did not have to open a shelter for them.  

“They also were provided with ten mattresses, covers, toiletries and two weeks’ supply of food. If they required more we were in a position to supply them.”  He said he consulted with the victims and director of Social Welfare Vijay Ganga-Persad sent two officers from the Ministry of the People and Social Development to assess their losses. They were scheduled to visit the ministry for further assistance yesterday.

David said the family  was also visited by Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley and Chaguaramas/Point Cumana councillor Enroy Slater. He said he suggested to Rowley that the  family should be provided with a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) apartment. David said the MP for the area  needed to make the intervention on behalf of victims.