Family live in tent opposite President’s House

A MAKESHIFT tent, a few clothes and some meagre household wares are the only worldly possessions the Joseph family have, as they eke out an existence in the tent tied to a concrete bench at Queen’s Park Savannah obliquely opposite President’s House. Head of the displaced family, Wendell Joseph, who says he is a former National Heavyweight boxer said Prime Minister Patrick Manning waves to him almost everytime he (Manning) goes to his Whitehall office, yet no one from the Government has come forward to lend a helping hand.

The Josephs who have been homeless for the past 70 days and who celebrated Christmas and New Year’s in their small tent, are pleading for a home from the National Housing Authority (NHA). Wendell sleeps under a plastic sheet placed over the concrete bench while his handicapped, wheelchair-bound wife Erica and their 16-year-old daughter Eileen, share the tent. Joseph’s wife suffered a broken ankle three years ago and has since been unable to walk. Their daughter Eileen wrote the SEA exams but has never attended secondary school. The family of three is without proper toilet facilities, but are sometimes allowed to use a public bathroom located at the Queen’s Park Savannah, where they take their daily shower.

Even as the family told Newsday they had no means of cooking food, a Good Samaritan, Sr Ming, pulled up in a car with three containers of hot food which she gave to the family. “The people from St Ann’s sympathise and bring us meals,” said Joseph. Another good Samaritan also bought the tent in which mother and daughter sleep in. Joseph told Newsday their plight began when their home in Thompson’s Garden, San Fernando, was burnt down in November. “Drug pushers were threatening my family and wanted us to sell cocaine and marijuana for them. When we refused they burned our house down,” he claimed. He said they have been unable to receive any assistance from Government and have since been living on the streets.

The family lived on the Brian Lara Promenade during the month of November and moved in front Queen’s Hall later that month. However, Joseph said police made them move from that location since they (the police) thought it was unsafe. Instead they were placed opposite President’s House, where they celebrated the Yuletide Season and the start of 2005. “My family and I greeted each other and wished each other a Happy New Year under the tent,” Joseph said. So far, he said, no one has asked them to move from the spot, with security officers at President’s House keeping a constant eye on them and police patrols passing them everyday.

“People are accustomed with us living here. Even the Prime Minister waves to us when he passes,” said Joseph. The former heavyweight boxer told Newsday he fought for TT from 1974 to 1982, throughout England, Spain and Holland. Although his boxing career has come to an end, Joseph said he spoke to Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes in December. He said Boynes spoke to senior officials with a goal of placing the family in a programme, but no specific date was given. Now they wait in hope that someone will assist them in getting a new home.