A South businessman has offered to let Alan Maloney and his son live temporarily in an unoccupied, furnished house he owns in Mon Desir. Steven Ramatally, who runs Hexagon Chemical Ltd, read about Maloney's predicament in the T&T Guardian yesterday. Maloney and his son, Daniel Toussaint, 8, have been living in the ruins of their house since it was badly damaged by fire a year ago.
Ramatally said: "I want to help these people. It will be temporary until they get their feet back on the ground. They could come and see the place." He said it was furnished and had running water and electricity. "The only thing they have to walk with is their pillows, blankets and clothes," he added. Maloney, 55, and son have been living in wretched conditions at Manahambre Road, Ste Madeleine, since last November. He repairs stoves and fridges. His son attends the Ste Madeleine Government Primary School.
They are living in a small room on the ground floor of the house which is the only area that is covered. All they have in the room is a bed, a chair and their clothes. There is no electricity or running water. The T&T Guardian first highlighted their plight last December. The National Commission for Self Help and the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) had promised to work to rebuild their home. Through a Self Help grant construction materials were dropped off.
However, the URP said it could do no work because no bricks were provided. Calling from the United States yesterday, Trinidadian-born Dennis Hicks, founder of DEHIX, an international charitable body, said when he was in Trinidad earlier this year he did his best to help Maloney in whatever way he could. "It is sad that a year has passed and they are still in the same situation," he said.
Hicks said he also was assisting mother of three Michelle Cudjoe who has appealed a seven-month sentence for larceny of a handbag. She claimed she stole the handbag to buy food for her children.