Mayor: Counselling for Ajim Baksh residents

Speaking to Sunday Newsday after the funeral for Videsh at his home, yesterday, Morris-Julien said counsellors from the Mediation Services will visit the closeknit community from tomorrow to help residents heal and move on with their lives .

“That whole street is devastated .

They all love that boy. So, we (Arima Borough Council) are asking them to reach out to the extended family also,” she said .

Morris-Julien said the council also intends to embark on a programme titled, Our Brother’s Keeper, encouraging residents to look out for one-another .

“We just have to hold one-another tighter,” she said .

“For example, somebody saw these people driving out Ms Rose’s (Hafeeza Mohammed’s) car. But we are not always observant .

We are buried in our cellphones .

We need to start back looking out for one another .

“We are trying to develop something for Arima, something that we could tap in and check on our trusted circle.” She said Ajim Baksh Trace was a stone’s throw away from her home .

“I am familiar with everybody there. I was familiar with Videsh and his bike up and down, always very pleasant.” Morris-Julien said residents were interested in naming a park in the area after Videsh .

“There is a park right at the end that the residents want to name after him,” she said .

“So, the council will be looking into that because somebody sealed off the park. We don’t know why. We have to find out about that.” Morris-Julien said greater attempts also were being made to empower women .

“We had a self-defence course that ran for six weeks in Arima and everybody liked and shared it but very few people came out .

We really want to bring it back and and encourage all women,” she said, alluding specifically to Mohammed .

Saying she was in a highly- emotional state at the funeral, Morris-Julien told Sunday Newsday she was deeply concerned for her own children .

“I have every young children and I am worried even leaving them with my mother, even me if somebody is determined. If somebody could watch a 13-yearold boy and kill him, then they don’t care. So, we have to go back to the drawing board on that one.” Videsh would have been 13 in December