Kamla: Come together to help mothers most in need

The Opposition Leader has called for citizens to come together to protect, uplift, assist and inspire mothers who are struggling owing to the covid19 pandemic.

To those mothers, Kamla Persad-Bissessar said: "I understand your plight, I feel your pain, I empathise with you. Take heart and keep the faith. Together, we will emerge from this crisis stronger."

In a statement on Saturday, Persad-Bissessar said the world has changed substantially because of the pandemic.

She urged citizens to reach out to those vulnerable suffering mothers to ensure that they have what they need to care for their loved ones.

Persad-Bissessar estimated that thousands of mothers in TT are battling severe hardship, the inability to provide for their children, and significant burdens due to poor economic management in recent years, "now worsened by the crisis."

"It breaks my heart knowing that while some may celebrate this special day with a meal and a few loved ones, there are mothers in our nation who are pleading for food items to feed their children."

"On Mother’s Day, I often reflect on the love of my mother Rita, who, despite our humble way of life always selflessly went beyond to ensure that my siblings and I were provided for," she said.

"It was my mother’s love, her desire to provide for her children, and her faith in my abilities which motivated me along the way to enter the realm of politics."

The political leader said it was also her mother’s compassion that inspired her to dedicate her to working to lift others. When she too became a mother, she understood her mother’s experience and the sacrifices she made for her children.

She also called on Government to fast-track the delivery of the salary relief grants, adding that hundreds of single mothers are depending on this to provide for their families.

"Although we are coming to terms with a new way of life under covid19, the virus has had one positive effect – it has reminded all of us that there is nothing more important than family."