The Jamaica Star :: News :: FAMILY HOUSE FALLS APART - Woman, children living in collapsing one-room structure

FAMILY HOUSE FALLS APART - Woman, children living in collapsing one-room structure

Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

Nelta Saunders (centre) with her children: Roy Rose (in her lap), Odia Gardener and son, Luke Leslie, in the crumbling structure they call home in Seaforth, St Thomas, last Thursday. - Ricardo Makyn

For the year that she has lived in a one-room structure in Seaforth, St Thomas, Nelta Saunders has been concerned that the room would collapse, injuring or perhaps killing herself and her three children.

Cracks

The walls in the small room have huge cracks and the roof, which leaks constantly, is made up of tarpaulin and plastic. When it rains, their room is flooded, forcing them to seek refuge with neighbours or to simply huddle together in whatever dry area they can find. "When the rain fall, the roof leak. A pure flooding. Sometime when it rain, mi jus haffi mek dem sleep somewhere else. Mi fret fi dem. Di roof can fail anytime. Mi try mi bes' fi stop di water from come dung, but it can't stop," she said.

She told THE STAR that the recent heavy rains flooded their room yet again and gesturing to a small corner, said, "A right ya so wi haffi hook up inna one corner. Sometime mi haffi bawl. An den sometimes mi nuh have nuttin fi gi dem fi eat. Sometime dem haffi go dem bed without."

Saunders and her children, aged 15 months, five years and 13 years, all share the limited space. She shares a small three-legged bed with her baby and the others sleep on the floor. A table with a bottle of water sat in the middle of the room and attracted several flies. The house has no piped water and the family must go to the nearby standpipe whenever they need the amenity. There is no bathroom and she told THE STAR, "A outta door or river wi go."

Overcrowded

The 29-year-old mother told THE STAR that she moved from her mother's house when she realised that it was becoming overcrowded and uncomfortable. A good Samaritan offered her a place to live and, though she is grateful, she is still concerned that the room could collapse anytime.

Because she can barely read, she finds it hard to secure a job. Apart from doing a little farming on her mother's land, she is mainly unemployed. "Nobody nuh want nobody whe can't read so good or whe nuh have nuh experience. Sometimes, mi go up to mi mother farm or dem father wi gi mi wat likkle dem have. Di big one fi go high school September and mi nuh know how it a go work," she said.

Job

Saunders is willing to work and said she is able to care for elderly persons or children. She said, "Mi woulda like a likkle room and if mi get a job inna di meantime, mi woulda glad, so dat mi can finance dem [the children]. Mi woulda really like di room, cause dis can go at any time, wi can jus be here one night an it fall. The upstairs part drop already."

She added, " Any help at all mi can get, Mi woulda love it. It nuh haffi be nothing big."

Nelta Saunders (centre) with her children: Roy Rose (in her lap), Odia Gardener and son, Luke Leslie, outside the crumbling structure they call home in Seaforth, St Thomas, last Thursday. - Ricardo Makyn

THE STAR, with the help of the Food For the Poor, intends to create a project to assist Saunders and anyone wishing to help may contact THE STAR at 932-6271 or 932-6253.