PHOTO: Madam Nora Ricks
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- A widow with five children residing in Cotton Tree Lower Margibi County east of Monrovia is calling on humanitarian groups, philanthropists as well as local and international NGOs to come to her aid.
Madam Norah Ricks told www.newspublictrust.com in Cotton Tree over the weekend that she is in need of food, clothing, house rent or shelter and support to her children’s education.
Since the death of her husband two years ago, she has been finding it difficult to cater to the needs of her five children, she said.
Madam Ricks maintained that her husband, who worked for Firestone-Liberia, was dismissed by the Company thus leaving him with no other alternative but to get engaged into crushing rock for living prior to his demise.
The Widow stated that while on the rock crushing field, her husband got ill as the result of “witchcraft/African sign” that eventually led to his death. She indicating that since her husband’s death, she has been the only one providing for the home through engaging in the same crushing of rocks.
Madam Ricks said she has also been involved in doing other kinds of contract for others just to put food on the table and to send her children to school.
But with the lockdown and difficulties caused by the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, life has become increasingly more difficult.
Prior to the death of her husband, he paid two years rent (US$10 monthly) for the building they are occupying, but the rent will expire this June and she and her five kids are on the verge of being thrown out by the landlord.
Norah Ricks is at the same time appealing for financial support to enable her build a structure on the one lot of land that was purchased by her late husband before he died.
She said the structure that was constructed by the deceased in Firestone was allegedly broken down by the Company’s management, following his dismissal on grounds that the land on which the structure was built belongs to the Company.
The Liberian mother of five explained that through crushing rocks, one of her children was able to graduate from high school (night session) recently, where she was paying L$20,000 annually.
Norah Ricks is therefore seeking the support of individuals and institutions in and out of Liberia.