RADHICA DE SILVA
The house that is being built for the Boodram orphans of Penal is quickly coming closer to completion.
Yet many people, touched by the children’s resilience, are continuing to visit and offer support. Over the weekend, seven more companies joined with Angostura and Coosals Group of Companies to lend support. Long after the house is completed, the children will receive food, school books, water and other necessities.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Saturday, Meera Boodram said the support was incredible.
“I feel so overwhelmed because all through my childhood we never had this. My mother never had the opportunity of living in a good house. I know that if she was here she would be so happy and grateful for this,”she added.
Boodram showered praises on the contractor Brandon Peterson and his son Damien who were among the first to come to their assistance. It was Peterson who had encouraged Guardian Media to write about the children’s story as they built a house for themselves with their own hands.
With the surplus of help, Boodram said she was willing to offer any excess material to other families who needed help to build their home.
Among the companies joining the team of Angostura and Coosals Group were Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd, Persad’s D Food King Group, Nigel R. Khan Bookselling Group, TSTT, Memory Bank Computers Limited, Kaleidoscope Paints Limited and Blue Waters Products Limited.
Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd will be donating a living room set, dining room set, refrigerator, gas cooker, twin tub washer and mattresses. Persad’s D Food King Group will be assisting the siblings with groceries for one year, while the Nigel R. Khan Bookselling Group will be giving 12-year-old Ravi Boodram a gift card to purchase school supplies and books for the next several years until he completes Form 5.
TSTT has pledged internet service for one year. Memory Bank Computers Limited is gifting three Lenovo tablets to assist with online learning. Kaleidoscope Paints Limited is providing the paints for the siblings’ house and Blue Waters Products Limited will be supplying cases of water every month for one year.
Already Coosal’s Group of Companies has contributed roofing supplies, and Angostura® is purchasing all the electrical items required.
The three siblings aged 12, 18 and 21 were evicted by close relatives following the death of their parents and have been constructing their own house with the help from Samaritans.
Angostura’s Executive Manager-Corporate Services, Rahim Mohammed praised the children’s resilience.
