More than a week after the residents of Swan, Linden-Soesdyke Highway saw several dwellings demolished and damaged in a violent storm they are still awaiting help to get back on their feet.
“Well right now I trying to get some wood to see if I could do some fine repairs but they ain’t much I could do cause I don’t have money. I got some nails and I asking me friends to assist but that’s all,” Deo Persaud, one of the persons whose house was wrecked by the storm, told Stabroek News on Friday. He said that since no one from the government or region has visited the area and offered assistance he was force to seek help elsewhere. He pointed out that on his way up to the community he asked his friend to assist him with his canter and went to various sawmills asking for donations.
However, two days later nothing has changed and no one has visited the community. Anyone willing to assist the residents of Swan to rebuild their homes can contact Deo Persaud on 661-0581 or Faneeza on 665-3451 or 600-3490.
“Since then [last Saturday] I still don’t have money to fix it but on my way I stop at two sawmills and I explained to them what happened and they gave me some wood and I was able to do some work on one of the house,” Persaud said, pointing out that while he was able to do some minor work there are still major tasks that have to be done.
He said that the other houses in the area are left as they were two Saturdays ago since the residents have no money and are unable to fix them.
“I called the Guyana Relief Council but they said that they have to investigate in order to provide any assistance and even the Food for the Poor said that they would go but ever since nobody ain’t gone yet. None, none, none at all from the government or anywhere,” Persaud said.
While Persaud does not live in the house, he is currently renting it to a woman who lives there with her nine children and explained that they are currently forced to sleep in the house with half of the roof gone.
“We nah blame anyone but right now nobody really in this village can do much cause we all poor people,” he said.
Faneeza, another woman whose house was completely destroyed and who lived there with her three children, said she is forced to live with her children’s father and his family even though they have domestic problems.
“They already don’t like me and we had to go to the police already but I don’t have anywhere to go. I need to fix back the house but I can’t cause I don’t have any money or anything. And is not like is part of the house that damage, is the entire thing,” she said.
Herman Williams, another resident, explained to Stabroek News that her sister’s house that was torn down by the storm was halfway through construction. The family is distraught since all of their money has been wasted.
“They [her sister and brother in law] does work hard you know. She does go all the way to Coverden to work and it hurts to see something happen just like that and blow down the house that you working hard to build,” Williams told Stabroek News.
“Even though everybody in the community willing to help each other we don’t have the resources to use. We can’t make the wood and nails or zinc to build back the house. If we get it we would do it we self but that’s why we need help,” another resident pointed out.
The storm blew over the area around 4:30 pm and ripped through the little community. It brought heavy winds and a torrential downpour which toppled trees, shrubs and houses. Some of the houses that were in mid construction were also toppled.
“Well on Saturday we didn’t know that woulda happen cause the place was hot, hot and all of a sudden the dark clouds just come. Now every time it hot, hot we will think that a storm coming again,” one of the relatives related.
