The five Ramdeen boys yesterday abandoned their one-bedroom shack and headed to Moblissa on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway with their mother, to be reunited with their father.
Stabroek News was told by the children's grandparents that their mother Gita Ramdeen had taken the boys to join their father and four other siblings on a farm located at Moblissa.
According to information, at Moblissa the family will be housed in a two-bedroom home, while the father earns $750 per day as a gardener.
Rita Mohan, Ramdeen's mother said she advised her daughter against taking the children away. But she said her daughter refused to listen, saying she was fearful that she might lose custody of them.
Meanwhile, Food for the Poor Guyana Inc (FFTP) said it had adopted the family two years ago, but later ended the link, because of the parents' seeming indifference to the children's welfare. Reverend William Boston, an official of the agency, told Stabroek News that between 2001 and 2003, the Ramdeen family was adopted by the agency. He said during that period, FFTP contributed over $10,000 in groceries and other items to the family each month and provided counselling. According to Boston, while this was going on, the children's father Rohan Hanoman, in particular, was often seen at liquor bars drinking. Boston said to make matters worse, Hanoman hardly contributed to the home.
Ramdeen had confessed that whenever Guysuco was grinding cane, Hanoman would usually earn enough to feed his family, but wasted most of it at the rum shop.
Boston said while the agency's policy would not have allowed for continuous adoption of the family, it was forced to review the assistance early because of the parents' attitude.
Boston also mentioned that FFTP had offered to build a house for the family, but the parents were again slothful in applying for a house lot. "We have tried with them and we are concerned about the children, but the parents have to change their ways."
Boston said FFTP had made several appointments for Ramdeen to receive family-planning counselling, but on each occasion she failed to show up.
The union between Hanoman and Ramdeen has produced nine children so far.
Moreover, Boston said FFTP had tried to get the children into school, but most of them do not have birth certificates and the parents did not seem interested.
A teacher at the school where two of the children were enrolled told this newspaper that they were hardly ever present.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the teacher told Stabroek News that almost every time she enquired from the elder sibling, Suresh Ramdeen why they were not attending school, he would tell her that they had to perform home chores. This, the teacher said was affecting the children's performance and as such they were always behind the other students. She said the school had made several complaints to the District Education Office, but no action was taken.
The teacher lamented the parents' decision to take the children to Moblissa, stating that they will again be robbed of schooling.
Boston noted that at present FFTP is on a drive to construct 20 two-bedroom homes on the West Bank Demerara for poor families. He said the Ramdeens would certainly benefit under the programme, but they would first have to get a house lot.
Stabroek News had found five of the children at home alone in a dilapidated wood and zinc shack painted in white at the Vive La Force Riverside last Saturday. The children said their father had left for Linden on a job hunt almost one month ago and had not returned.
They said their mother departed shortly after him. She only returned on Monday. The five boys informed also that they had four other siblings: two sisters aged one year and seven months; and two other brothers who are below age nine. The eldest brother, Suresh is 13 and during the period his parents were away he did all of the cooking and caring for his brothers.
The task was particularly difficult for the youngster who was taken out of school to help take care of his brothers. He had to go about finding food for them every day. This included catching fish in a small boat in the Demerara River and begging neighbours and close relatives for other items to supplement this.
Donations continued to pour in for the children yesterday and persons both here and overseas have made pledges.
A release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said Minister of Human Services, Bibi Shadick confirmed that an officer had visited the boys on Monday. Shadick said the family was given some assistance, but will get more when Ramdeen attends a meeting at the ministry today. Shadick added that the Ministry of Home Affairs will look into providing birth certificates for the children so that they can attend school.
The children's grandmother admitted that her daughter had nothing when she started her family. She said many days the children were forced to stay at her home because they had nothing at home to eat.
Persons wishing to make donations to the family can contact the grandmother Rita Mohan at Koker Top Patentia East, WBD or on telephone numbers 267-2218 or 267-2566.