65-year-old Maritha Powell sits in the doorway of her humble home in Robins Hall, Manchester.

Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

For many of us, $1,000 can easily be spent in a few hours. But for 65-year-old Maritha Powell, this amount must last for an entire week and must feed four persons and send her granddaughter to school.

Powell, who suffers from asthma and bronchitis, and whose vision has been blurred by a cataract and glaucoma, lives in Robins Hall, Manchester, with her daughter and two grandchildren. Her daughter, Minnette, does not work, and Powell survives only on $1,000 that her other daughter, Yvonne, provides every week. The family has been doing this since last February when Maritha's husband, who farmed to support the family, died.

"Is ongle God alone," Powell said, "Di $1,000 share fi four people and mi mostly put dung $500 fi sen di likkle girl go school." Though this takes great sacrifice, she believes in her nine-year-old granddaughter's ability to excel in school, and thinks it is worth a few hunger pangs. "She have good brain and mi want help out. Sometime mi hungry fi di whole day, but mi jus save up fi har and stay hungry."

Minette attested to her mother's unselfish nature, telling THE STAR, "A so she stay from wi likkle. She wi cook all four dumpling and gi each a wi one and den she lef fi har own pan di firecoal fi keep warm and share it up fi all a wi inna di morning. She nuh eat fi har own. Any likkle money she have, she sen wi go school ... jus press wi uniform good an sen wi go school."

As far as stretching the paltry $500 that is left, Powell does her best. "Mostly, wi jus buy some saltfish and two head a cabbage and some tomato. Sometime mi haffi walk inna people grung and pick grung callaloo, but mi can't really do dat again, cause dem start spray di grung."

And while chicken graces many tables everyday, this family only enjoys this 'luxury' in the holidays. "Sometime mi eat di so-so food. Mi jus cook di yam and eat it with salt or mi jus eat di so-so rice. Mi might get two han a banana whe mi jus cook an eat wid di same rice. A mussi ongle inna holiday time mi daughter might buy one chicken. Dung to wha day ya mi a tell mi daughter seh mi feel weak, like mi woulda drink likkle soup."

She lamented that neighbours back in old days were much kinder than they are now. "First time neighbours tek one anadda like sister and brother, but now, once you poor, dem trample you. Mi have di cataract and glaucoma, so mi jus barely a glimpse. Mi scramble roun di yard, but mi can barely do nuttin."

While some would get discouraged and wallow in self-pity, Powell's faith in God has allowed her to get through each day. "Mi jus trust God, caw mi know dat im will provide. Mi believe and mi know dat dere is a God."

Though she can barely move around, she told THE STAR, "Mi woulda raise a likkle pig or so or just get any help fi build like a fowl coop fi raise couple fowl. Mi would a just like any help wi can get."

Anyone willing to help Mrs. Powell, may contact her at 419-1393.

Maritha's daughter, Minnette, stands before the small house that four people call home. - George Henry photos