…Mother of 6 pleads for assistance after husband dies at sea
A mother of six is pleading for public assistance after her husband died at sea in April.
Narainee Chunilall of Number 56 Village Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), is seeking help to ensure that five of her six children can complete school.
The 33-year-old lost her husband six months ago when crew members returned to shore with his body and reported that he died at sea.
She said she has been able to get part-time employment at a bar in addition to domestic work she does around the village. She added that her greatest financial support is from her parents. She also has a little kitchen garden to supplement her meagre income.
Chunilall told this publication that no Government official has reached out to her since the tragedy.
“I want some assistance with my children to support them so they can go to school regularly,” she noted.
With children aged 17, 16, 15, 14, 12 and 10-years old, Chunilall noted that her 17-year-old daughter has completed school but the others attend school when she can afford it.
Recently, she visited the Office of the Prime Minister in the region where Representative Gobin Harbhajan, who is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Guardians on the Upper Corentyne, advised her to apply for public assistance for some of the children.
In April, 41-year-old Deolall Sooklall of Number 56 Village departed the Number 66 Fisheries wharf and days later his family did not hear from him. This raised some suspicion and as his family made inquiries, they were told that the other fishermen, who Sooklall worked with, made a report to the police in Berbice that he had collapsed on the vessel.
According to reports, the man was unresponsive and the vessel returned to shore so that he could receive medical attention. However, Sooklall was pronounced dead.
