–families seeking help with rebuilding

By Indrawattie Natram

SEVERAL villages along the Essequibo Coast are currently under water due to Friday morning’s freak storm ocassioned by heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning.

Several vendors at the Charity Market could be seen, after the storm had abated, bailing out their stalls, as water had seeped in from the Pomeroon River and nearby drainage trenches.
A drive along the Essequibo Coast later would reveal that drainage trenches at Affiance, Queenstown, Perservance, Devonshire Castle, Anna Regina, New Road had overflown their banks, and that kitchen gardens as well as rice fields were inundated with water.
Even the C V Nunes Primary School at Anna Regina had not escaped the storm’s wrath, and teachers and pupils alike had a difficult time getting to school that day.

With several classrooms under water, school had to be closed and children sent home earlier than usual.

SEVERELY AFFECTED

Meanwhile, two families who were severely affected by the storm are asking for help with rebuilding the roofs of their houses.

The families, who are from Lima Village, got the shock of their lives when heavy winds blew their roofs off, leaving them virtually homeless.

Head of one of the affected households, Mr Satanand Bissessar, is currently thanking God for sparing his life after narrowly escaping death. He is currently nursing wounds about his body due to injuries he sustained from flying zinc sheets.
Visibly shaken, Bissessar related that it was around 10:30hours Friday morning when he heard a loud noise, and going outside to see what all the ruckus was about, he saw a number of zinc sheets flying every which way, as the heavy winds whipped up a frenzy all around him.

Scared out of his wits by the experience, Bissessar told the Guyana Chronicle:
“I am very traumatised; the heavy wind just circle meh. The zinc just cut my forehead; blood was everywhere. I didn’t know if to scream or what to do.”

His sister, Netu Narine describes their situation as tragic, as everything they had in their house has been damaged.
“The entire roof gone! Everything wet up! We don’t have a home anymore!” she wailed.
The Bissessar family consists of seven members, two of whom are children, and their only wish right now is to have a roof once more over their heads.

NOWHERE TO GO

“All we wish for now is for our roof to rebuild; we have nowhere to rest our heads,” Netu said.

Their neighbour, Sultan Razul fared no better, as he said, tears in his eyes, that he doesn’t even know where to begin.
Sultan’s home was damaged when the roof of the Bissesar’s house crashed into their balcony.
His father, Naizoor Razul, is currently in hospital, nursing severe injuries. The Razul family consists of six persons, including a child and a pregnant woman.
Said Sultan: “We recently came from Venezuela for a better life in Guyana, and now our future here is crumbling too.”

This family is also pleading with members of the public to render them assistance in whatever way they can.
Both families of 13 persons are currently homeless, and without food. Both estimate their losses to run into thousands of dollars.

Following the tragedy, Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt along with Government Councillor Hardat Narine visited the families and promised that
the RDC will do everything possible to assist them.
He also said he will be arranging for them to get counselling, since many of them are still traumatised.
Ramdatt also used the opportunity to call on the business community to assist the families in whatever way they can.