Fri | Dec 20, 2024

Single mother gifted with new home for Christmas

Published:Monday | December 19, 2022 | 12:39 AM
Prime Minister, Andrew Holness (third right), with Sidonie Eldemire (fourth right), and her son Rohan Clarke (fourth left), who display the keys to their home, which they received under the New Social Housing Programme. The unit was constructed and donated
JIS PHOTO
Prime Minister, Andrew Holness (third right), with Sidonie Eldemire (fourth right), and her son Rohan Clarke (fourth left), who display the keys to their home, which they received under the New Social Housing Programme. The unit was constructed and donated by Arc Properties Limited. Looking on (from left) are Arc Properties Chairman, Norman Horne; General Manager, Ashley-Ann Foster Horne, and Deputy Chairperson, Charlotte Hayles; Chief Executive Officer, Kinetic Engineering Services Limited, Keon Hinds; and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Audrey Sewell.

After experiencing what she described as a difficult year in 2022, during which she battled stag- two cervical cancer while living in less-than-ideal conditions, Sidonie Eldemire has received the gift of a brand-new house for Christmas.

The two-bedroom unit, situated in Tower Hill, St. Andrew West Central, was constructed at a cost of $6 million and donated by Arc Properties Limited under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), which is administered under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The house, which Eldemire will share with her 14-year-old son, Rohan Clarke, who attends Haile Selassie High School in Kingston, was handed over during a ceremony on Wednesday (December 14).

Arc Properties is the first private-sector company making a contribution of this nature under the programme.

The handover exercise was led by Prime Minister, Holness, who is member of parliament for the constituency.

After being presented with the keys, Eldemire expressed gratitude for the kind gesture extended to her.

“I really appreciate this. It’s been a very rough year. But, as the songwriter says, ‘when God says yes, no man can say no’. I appreciate this so much and I will maintain [the house] with my community, [because] they have my back to help push me,” she declared.

QUIT HER JOB

The 37-year-old mother told JIS News that after being diagnosed with cancer approximately three years ago, she had to quit her job as a babysitter.

Eldemire said she, thereafter, proceeded to do chemotherapy, which caused rapid weight loss and affected her ability to walk, talk and eat.

She also pointed out that her house, a board structure, gradually deteriorated over time.

“So, it really took a toll on me. But I had my son beside me, and he was my ‘inside doctor’ and I appreciate him. I just ask God to uplift him and push him more, so he can do more to help someone else, just like someone else [helped me],” she said.

Rohan, who aspires to be a firefighter, told JIS News that the donation is a sign of improvements for his family.

“I’m glad we have somewhere better to sleep than in a board structure. I’m happy my mom got [this home], so we can stay healthy and feel better [about ourselves],” he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Holness disclosed that approximately 150 homes are expected to be donated to families living in similar conditions, under the NSHP, by the end of the year.

“We estimate, based upon the applications that have come into the office, that there are about 6,000 households in Jamaica that would qualify for this kind of intervention. We want to be able to be turning out 100 of these [per month], if we are going to make the impact as quickly as possible,” he stated.

JIS