Single mother Stacy Valasquez will today be moving out of a pavilion in Marabella where she and her son had been living for the last three months.
“God has answered my prayers,” Valasquez declared yesterday after scored of Good Samaritans came to her assistance after reading about her unfortunate situation in yesterday’s T&T Guardian.
Muslims of T&T visited Valasquez and offered to give them temporary lodging at the Islamic Missionary Guild at Kelly Village, Caroni, for at least six months.
“We visited Ms Valasquez and she has accepted our offer. We will be moving her out in the morning (today),” Muslims of T&T public relations officer and treasurer Imtiaz Mohammed said yesterday.
Mohammed and director Manwar Ali went to the pavilion at the Bayshore basketball court and met Valasquez and her son yesterday. Mohammed said their organisation will also try to find a job for her and a school for her son.
“We will also try to enrol the child into a Muslim school, which is about ten minutes away from the guild.”
The organisation has also undertaken to help Valasquez find her mother Angela Missette, who moved to Barbados but has not been heard from for the last two years.
Mohammed, who is also Islamic Missionary Guild president, said they also spoke with the councillor for the area, La-verne Smith, who said in the interim she will try to find a permanent home for the mother and son.
The organisation was one of several groups and individuals who expressed an interest in helping Valasquez after her plight was published in yesterday’s T&T Guardian.
Valasquez lived with her parents at Enid Street, Marabella, for most of her life but things changed drastically after her mother moved to Barbados ten years ago. She said life got difficult after her father Roderick Valasquez fell ill, his right leg was amputated and he subsequently died in July. Valasquez had to quit her job to take care of son because he was not in a school. He was attending a Muslim school which closed down earlier this year.
About a month after her father died, she was evicted from the apartment because she was unable to pay rent and was owing about $9,000 in arrears. With nowhere else to go she moved into the pavilion with her son. With no family to help her, Valasquez made a public appeal for help but she had no luck until the T&T Guardian highlighted her story.
Thanking the organisation and everyone who called to offer assistance and support, Valasquez said, “I am feeling really happy. I am excited. My son is so happy he dancing and rolling.”
She also thanked the T&T Guardian for highlighting her story.