A 53-year-old widow, Shamdai Pumu of Mahaica, Region Four and her two grandchildren are the latest beneficiaries of a house constructed through President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s Men on Mission (MoM) initiative.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), the woman’s previous living condition was deplorable and it created many problems for her.

“We were living bad…Underneath my bed had water and mud,” Pumu noted.

Pumu explained that her niece assisted her in writing a letter to MoM to build a new home for her family.

Now that she has a new home, she tearfully expressed gratitude for the assistance from the Men on Mission, “This has now changed my life because I have a home to live in and we are happy,” she said according to the DPI.

Pumu, who is currently unemployed due to her illness, mentioned that she struggles at times to provide for her family.

“It is really hard to look after two grandchildren and send them to school,” she added.

The DPI said that to support her household, she cultivates various crops which she then sells at the Mon Repos market.

Already, the MoM has handed over nine homes across the country.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, in remarks before handing over the keys, underscored that the MoM has embarked on numerous impactful initiatives.

According to the minister, these include the construction of houses for vulnerable families and the Youth Empowerment and Mentorship Programme.

“The one that makes very quick impact is this programme where we identify persons in our community who for one reason or another becomes very vulnerable. We can change their circumstances with relatively little by providing them with a home. We have transformed the way they live, their family and the community,” the health minister said.

He said that this new home would have a significant impact on Ms Pumu’s standard of living.

“She is one of those persons who deserve a home. She has two grandchildren who are living with her and I am sure that this will certainly change the circumstances for all of them,” he highlighted.

Chief Fire Officer, Gregory Wickham, Committee Members of the MoM, Roger Rogers, Dr Daniel Josh Kanhai and other representatives were also present at the ceremony. (DPI)