Her children’s first Christmas without their father, says Lilawatie Persaud, is being made happy by the “giving spirit”.
A regular patron of the Oasis Café, Mrs. Habibullah, was “touched” by Stabroek News’ article (Hog Island deaths leave family in grim struggle for survival) published on November 29, 2009 and decided to give the family some holiday cheer. The article spoke of Persaud’s struggle to fend for herself and children since August 11, when her husband Henry Gibson was discovered dead in a shattered boat just off Hog Island in the Essequibo River.
Christmas presents and foodstuff were handed over to Persaud yesterday by Oasis’ Nisa Walker on behalf of her patron.
“I am happy for all the help I can get,” Persaud told this newspaper. “This going to be my children first Christmas without their father and I just trying to make them happy and there are so many people who are helping me do that.”
Until a few weeks ago she worked in the backlands reaping eddoes. But now harvesting is over and Persaud must fend for herself and four children. The woman says she recently applied for a house lot and plans to move from Hog Island as soon as she can.
“I ain’t been working a while now,” Persaud stated. “But I been getting help from people over the last weeks and the foodstuff and thing have been very helpful.”
While life on Hog Island is peaceful Persaud has realized that she would have to eventually move to ensure her children have the opportunity to have a proper education.
“Here [Hog Island] dem children got to walk through mud to get to school and then some time it don’t got no school,” Persaud explained. “So hopefully I will get the house lot in an area close to a good school.”
The woman said she has no fixed plans for next year but intends to seek employment as a domestic worker after the holidays. There is not much else, Persaud stated, she can do.
Gibson’s death will cloud her family’s Christmas celebration but they are grateful for everything they have been given. Another man, Jainarine Dinanauth, 45, of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo also died in the boat incident while Dinanauth’s son, Ricky Jainarine is still missing. How the men died is still not clear and almost four months after the incident the families are still seeking answers. Persaud still believes that rogue Coast Guard ranks were involved in the incident.
“It is Christmas and my heart is still hurting…life will never be the same and I still not getting justice for my husband’s death,” Persaud said.
An investigation by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) had found blue paint on the green Coastguard vessel. And there were green paint marks on the blue and white boat that Gibson and the others were in. Persons had also reported that in the days following August 11, the Coastguard boat was dry-docked for three days and there were reports that a section had been painted over. The blue paint samples from the Coastguard boat were handed over to the police for testing. Police have still not reported whether testing has been completed.
The case file is with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The file was sent to the DPP for it to be determined whether to lay charges against the three coastguards, who have been charged with the murder of Bartica gold dealer, Dweive Kant Ramdass in the Essequibo River.
The GDF has since dismissed the coast guards. Sherwyn Harte, 26, of Lot 123 Block C Eccles, East Bank Demerara; Delon Gordon, 21, of Lot 108 C Field, Sophia; and Deon Greenidge, 20, of Lot 166 Middle Road, La Penitence appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman late August at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court charged with the murder of Ramdass.
