“Please help my children, $1 to eat.”
This was one of the placards single mother of three Nekisha Simon uses as she pleads for help on the streets in Princes Town.
She has become a familiar face in Princes Town within the last two weeks. Sitting on the pavement along the main road in front of a church and commercial bank, sometimes with her youngest child, age ten, and two other women from her Borde Narve, Princes Town community.
They too need assistance with food and money.
Simon, 44, said they are in a bad situation and need help. She receives public assistance due to her medical complications. Her eldest daughter, 22, a medical student at the University of the West Indies, sells nuts and channa to help her family and also pay her school-related fees.
However, in recent months their situation has worsened.
“Money is kind of hard to come by at the moment. My daughter sells nuts and channa to help we out but with COVID nothing selling right now.”
With nowhere else to turn, Simon said they decided to make a public appeal on the street.
“There are plenty of ladies in this situation in my community. We are trying to raise funds to help ourselves and other ladies in our community in the same situation. People have given us foodstuff and hampers and we sharing it up with one another.”
Simon said her youngest daughter is also in need of an electronic device to do her school work “Right now she goes by her cousin to get her work done and when she cannot go there I go and collect her papers from the school. It really hard for me.”
Simon said they have been warned by the police about being on the street but they have no choice.
“We are just trying to survive Things really hard with us right now.”
Princes Town Councillor Deryck Mathura came across them last week while he was on his way to visit his constituents.
Mathura said, “Some of the placards were please help my children. Good day, my brother we are asking for help to buy food. Obviously, this family is in desperate need of assistance, I immediately brought them a hamper. Obviously, it will not be enough but I will see whatever assistance further I could help them with.”
Anyone willing to assist them can contact the family at 356-3465.