By Bernice Ndeckey
A visually challenged old widow, Ma Nyima Sanyang, appeals for support after she and her family lost most of their belongings to a fire outbreak on 14th April 2024.
“I don’t even have a place to stay. My grandchildren too are all with my neighbours. Most of our clothes and all our beds are burnt. If anyone (government, philanthropist, individuals) comes to our aid, it will go a long way in our recovery process and return to our house. I am too old to be in another person’s house, causing inconvenience to them,” she appealed.
The visually challenged old widow described it as “unfortunate” for a poor family like hers to go through such a distressful situation in two years.
A daughter-in-law in the family, Fatoumatta Jambang, who was present at the time, narrated how the incident started on 14th April 2024 at around 4 p.m., while the victim was in her bedroom.
“The neighbours saw smoke ascending from the rooftop, and they came to inform us. After a few minutes, the fire started in Ma Nyima’s room. She was moved to another room, but the fire spread to that room. The trend continued throughout the lined house and even at the other building,” she recollected.
Jambang disclosed that a lot of valuables were lost to the fire. The valuables range from cash, refrigerators, clothes, wardrobes, beds, and mattresses, among other things that remained unaccounted for.
Narrating the degree of the perceived mysterious fire, another witness said, “the trend continued throughout the whole building until the old woman was finally taken to a house nearby”.
History repeated itself in Brikama Sanyang Kunda after the victim’s family experienced the same incident in February 2023. The cause of the fire remained unknown at the time of going to press.
Donating to the family either in cash or kind would go a long way in enabling the affected family to replace the lost items and facilitate their return to their house.
Interested persons can reach out to the family for support on 3539894 / 7332154 / 9802205.
