Starter House Programme – A Blessing For Needy Families
TWO needy families from Couva North officially received homes through the National Commission for Self Help Limited’s (NCSHL) Starter House Programme on Sunday.
Prematie Jhurisingh, a cancer patient and single mother from Derrick Road, Chase Village had a two bedroom house constructed for her family by NCSHL. “This house is a blessing and I feel very happy for the help”, she commented as the home was officially presented to her.
Malissa Ramjuman from Frankie Drive, Korea Village also received a two bedroom house from NCSHL to shelter her four children and husband who has been bedridden since a 2010 vehicular accident. “I want to thank you for building the house for us”, said 8-year old Joel Ramjuman when asked how he feels about his new home.
Member of Parliament for the area, Ramona Ramdial stated, “Poverty is a social and economic ill with severe, far reaching consequences, especially on human development. One major indicator of a country achieving developed status is the reduction of poverty to its minimum levels. This is an objective of the Peoples Partnership Government and so we have invested in many strategies to combat poverty. One such way is by building cheaper housing for those in need. As an MP, it is also my duty to identify and assist such constituents and lend to poverty reduction and nation building”.
Minister of Local Government, Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan commented about the Ramjuman family: “There is a mother in this house who now has to take care of four children, four children surviving on disability allowance. If government does not set about to improve the quality of life here, then what hope do we give to these children? When the government steps in and does something like this, it is not just about bringing relief to the parents and family but it is about giving hope to the children that there is somebody in this society, a government, that is really compassionate and caring. When we give them that hope they strive a little harder to learn, knowing that there is somebody’s hand they can reach out to hold.”
NCSHL has completed construction of 50 starter houses thus far and has a target of completing 100 in this fiscal year.