A Point Fortin woman and her two babies are now homeless after their home was burnt to the ground in a suspected arson attack on Friday morning. Nacayah Jeffrey, who suffers with sickle cell disease and survives on public assistance, is now seeking any kind of help to get her life back together.
Jeffrey, 25, told the T&T Guardian that she and her daughters Jahquader, five and Destiny two, were spending the night at her father’s Vance River home when the house was torched. She said she lost everything in the fire.
“All we have is the clothes on our backs,” she said, estimating damages to be in the vicinity of $75,000. She said she is also indebted to a financial institution, having recently borrowed a loan to renovate her home and wire the house for electricity.
“I lost my fridge, two beds, a television set which I am still paying for, a microwave, stove, four water tanks, several citrus trees, my daughter’s bicycle, all my groceries, toiletries, clothes, dishes, all our birth certificates.
“All my children clothes, my daughter’s school clothes, books, shoes, everything gone,” she said, pointing out that Jahquader is a second-year student at Vance River Primary School.
Jeffrey believes she knows who set her house on fire, adding neighbours saw the man running from the burning building. His vehicle was also spotted parked a short distance away. She said this was a double blow for the family as the children’s father, Jerry George, drowned in January 2014, when Destiny was just two months old.
At present, she and her children are staying with her father, but Jeffrey said she cannot stay there indefinitely.
“I am sleeping on a bed with my brother and two children. That is not comfortable. I have nothing and if anyone can help me to rebuild or get a new home, I would be grateful,” Jeffrey said. She said she went to the office of her member of parliament, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, for help, but his assistant offered her a food card.
Both the Point Fortin fire and police are continuing investigations.
Anyone willing to assist Jeffrey can contact the T&T Guardian on 225 5551 on her behalf.