Living in a cowshed for years, a Barrackpore family of five is expected to move into a new home constructed entirely by volunteers and NGO’s, less than one month after a Guardian Media report. In just one week they can expect to officially get the keys to the new structure, that is if more volunteers come forward to help complete it.
Since it was first reported that Soomatee Sam resided in a one-room cowshed with her 78-year-old mother Suganee, her 26-year-old daughter Vanessa, and her two grandchildren ages one and three respectively, many individuals and organisations came forward to donate their time, money and materials to giving this family a safe place to call their own. They’ve since been working daily, even throughout the weekends, to complete the build.
One of the volunteers who helped with the project, Riza Guyadeen told Guardian Media there were individuals from as far as Sangre Grande coming out and donating materials for the home. “There was a lot of positive contributions from people in a negative society and this is what we here for and we try to help as many people as we could,” he said.
Although the house is furnished with kitchen appliances and furniture, Sam and her family still reside in the temporary structure the volunteers constructed for them as the plumbing and electrical work remain to be completed.
This is why one of the coordinating volunteers, Dennis Goppie is appealing to the public for assistance.
“We still need to have the electrical for this house done and the plumbing...if people could donate that aspect of it, that would be fantastic and the Sams would be able to move into their house as fast as possible.”
Sitting in her new living room, a visibly grateful Sam told Guardian Media, “I feel as a brand new person...it really touched me deeply inside to know that in about two weeks time I have a new brand home and now I’m feeling happy...it’s a very beautiful home and I thank the organisation, Mr Dennis, the whole team, and all the organisations that come together and everybody that come together to make me happy and bring me a new home.”
“I am happy I don’t have rain falling and water coming in and wetting me on the bed...and when I get up from the bed I don’t have to put my foot in mud and that’s the beauty about it now. I never dream of it (this day) but I always pray and ask the Lord to bless me with a new home. I always prayed for that,” she said.
This experience has brought the strangers together and they’ve since also embarked on helping two other families with housing.
When Guardian Media visited the home on Saturday, the roof had just finished being placed on the prefabricated structure which was donated by the Sai Baba Organisation while the construction, from the foundation, was done by the volunteers. All materials and labour were donated.
Helping the family on their journey to a new home were several sponsors such as Larry’s Hardware, Dave Sookoo Transport, Boundary Mini Mart, Junior Sheppard Electrical, Ramsingh Industrial Services, On The Ground Construction, and the Sai Baba Organisation and several other businesses and individuals who wished to remain anonymous. The volunteers also thanked the General Manager of T&TEC who, within hours, was able to get the temporary structure supply of electricity until construction on the home was completed.
The key volunteers in this initiative are Dennis Goppie, Riza, Dave, Kevin, and Ravi. For anyone who wishes to help them complete the house, Goppie can be contacted at 303-4918.