Kaieteur News Reports : Darrell Rigby, a 49-year-old visually impaired father of two, is urgently pleading for help to rebuild a safe home for his family after their house began collapsing earlier this year. Rigby, a former security officer at the Georgetown Public Hospital, currently resides in the North Sophia squatting area.
Since losing his eyesight in 2023, Rigby has struggled to provide for his family, which includes his wife, who is also facing health challenges, and their two children, aged 13 and 15. The family has been living in hazardous conditions since part of their home collapsed in April.
“We heard a loud cracking sound in the early morning. The back part of the house near the canal was collapsing,” Rigby recounted. “Now the whole structure is leaning toward the canal.”
Rigby purchased the house earlier this year for $100,000 using a cash grant and public assistance funds, unaware of its deteriorating state. “The roof was leaking, the walls had holes. When it rained, the hallway would flood, soaking the mattress and breaking the television,” he explained.
He owns land in the Vigilance New Housing Scheme on the East Coast of Demerara and is seeking assistance to construct a proper home for his family. “I am hoping for help with materials or anything. I am begging for my family,” Rigby said.
Since losing his job in August 2023 due to illness, Rigby has had no steady income. “I became a security guard in 2020 but lost my job because I became sick with glaucoma and eventually lost my sight,” he shared. He added that both he and his wife receive $22,000 in public assistance, which barely covers their basic needs.
Rigby also suffers from epilepsy and has been diagnosed with breast cancer, complicating his ability to support his family. He has reached out to various organizations and individuals, including Men on Mission and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame McCoy, but has yet to receive substantial assistance.
While some local businesses have provided occasional help with hampers and small financial contributions, Rigby emphasizes that what he truly needs is sustainable support to build a new home.
Having previously lived in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, Rigby moved to his current location seeking a better environment. Now, with their home dangerously unstable and no job or stable income, he is desperate for help. “I just want a better life for my children. That’s all I’m asking,” he pleaded.
Anyone wishing to assist Darrell Rigby and his family can contact him at (592) 671-9479 or (592) 723-8225.
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