Anand, UNC youth arm bring joy to family of 8
FOR the first time, 12-year-old Kimberly Kallan will be able to study using electricity.
Yesterday, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan visited Kimberly and her family with the youth arm of the United National Congress (UNC) to help paint their recently-built house and to donate school supplies to Kimberly’s siblings.
Tears of joy were shed by parents Abdool Kallan, 42, and Jennifer Sookraj, 39, when they were visited by the AG at their home.
The family lives at Bhagwansingh Trace, Esperance Village, San Fernando.
Kallan and Sookraj have six children—Kimberly, Camile, 11, Jonathan and Sarah, ten, Abdool, nine, Mark, seven, Stephon, six, and Lee-Ann, one.
Kallan is a builder and his wife is unemployed.
Ramlogan spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Roodal Moonilal, who were instrumental in assisting the family.
He told the family he was informed by the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), that the electricity supply will be available from this week.
The UNC has been assisting the family for more than two years and Kallan built the two-bedroom house with the financial assistance of the National Self Help Commission.
The family moved into the new home last week Saturday.
Speaking to reporters about the family before the visit, Ramlogan said: “The wonderful thing about this particular family is that both the father and the mother are committed to the children and they are working hard to try and meet us halfway and that in itself is sort of motivation for us… they are a family worthy of emulation in that regard.”
He said he was pleased to see the involvement of the party’s youth and the project which “serves as part of the process of reconnecting the youths to the community so that they can see themselves as a link in the chain in society”.
Sookraj said she was very grateful for all the help she received.
Kimberly said she was happy about her new school supplies which included, shoes, school uniforms, book bags and all books.
She attends Canaan Presbyterian Primary School and is expected to write the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) next year.
Her siblings, except Lee-Ann, are attending Picton Presbyterian Primary School.
Ramlogan told the children to study “twice as hard” and to be the best they can be.
The family’s plight was brought to Ramlogan’s attention by his children’s babysitter Savi Pooran, who lives near the family.
And he encouraged residents to “look out for each other” and to assist their neighbours.