Westmoreland fisherman receives assistance

Last week when THE STAR spoke to Esroy Holness, his tears flowed freely.

Battered and broken from Hurricane Melissa's wrath, the fisherman was like a fish out of water, having no home or food. But on Thursday, when the news team reached out to the Westmoreland native, he said that he was still homeless, but his voice was filled with hope, after receiving assistance from a fisherman in Antigua and Barbuda.

"A the lady alone reach out to mi and she send mi some food stuff and some sheet and other tings, eno. She send me some money also, and mi can tell yuh say mi really appreciate it and mi want thank her from the bottom of mi heart, and thank THE STAR for putting out the story," he said.

Holness is from the community of Farm, but was in Robins River when Melissa made landfall. In addition to his house and his shed where he stored important items, Holness' boat was destroyed by the hurricane. His current place of dwelling remains an old bathroom, but he said he has a lot to smile about now, as he has finally got a chance to be reconnected with his children.

"Mi see mi children dem, man, and mi happy. Mi carry tings for dem, and dem okay. Dem say dem did come look for mi after the hurricane but never see mi. Mi a take time feel little better because people a talk to mi. Mi still live inna the bathroom, but mi get some old zinc and nail dem up and put some a mi tings dem in deh," Holness said.

Philippa Davis, the Jamaican woman who made the connection between both Holness and his Antiguan colleague, said she was almost moved to tears when she read about Holness' plight in the publication.

"With the help of Treckers Adventure, we were able to find him and another fisherman, who is in Black River. A fisherman name Charlie Simon from The Fishermen Association in Antigua and Barbuda reached out to me and sent funds, which was used to help buy the supplies and give him some funds as well. We are just all happy that he was able to see his kids and he is doing better. There is still a long way to go for him to be back on his feet, but things are looking better," she said.