Mom, kids living on Crix and milk

CRIX and milk is what an unemployed woman and her two children have been surviving on since her home was allegedly set ablaze by a jilted lover four days ago. “I don’t have no money to buy anything to eat. If I could get a little help,” 32-year-old Louisa James told Newsday yesterday. However, the mother is also faced with another problem — a place to live. Cradling her sleeping nine-month-old baby girl against her chest, James said she was staying at a relative, but would have to leave soon because of the lack of accommodation. James and her four children lived in a small wooden house at Cipero Railway Road in Ste Madeleine until it was completely gutted last Thursday. James was injured in an accident two months ago, and was unable to take care of her four children, ages six years to nine months. Destiny was sent to a teacher and Joshua was sent to live with his grandfather in Arima.

The other two —  Ezekiel, three and Joanna, nine months — stayed with her. James is unemployed and receives public assistance for three of her children. Yesterday she went to the clinic and got a tin of baby milk for Joanna and a neighbour assisted with clothes for Ezekiel and Joanna. “A week before the fire I got some groceries from the Share Programme in Pleasantville, but all burned. Ezekiel is going to school without his bookbag because it burned. He has one pants and shirt to wear to school,” she lamented. James said she went to the Social Welfare Department for assistance in getting an NHA apartment, but was told by the security guard that she had to get a letter from the police and Fire Services. She said when she went to the Fire Services she was told she would have to wait at least two weeks. Meanwhile, James is appealing to the public for any kind of assistance. “If I could get some material, I could put up a one-room for us to stay,” she added.