Latest update March 26th, 2026 7:55 AM
Visually-impaired father pleads for help to rebuild collapsing home
The side of the home
Rigby’s home leaning forward to the canal
Darrel Rigby wearing pictures of his collapsing home asking for help on the streets
Kaieteur News – A 49-year-old visually impaired father of two is pleading for assistance to rebuild a home for his family after the house they were living in began collapsing earlier this year.
Darrell Rigby, a former security officer at the Georgetown Public Hospital and current resident of the North Sophia squatting area, said he has been struggling to support his family since losing his eyesight in 2023. His wife, who is also battling health issues, and their two children, ages 13 and 15, have been living in hazardous conditions since part of their home collapsed in April.
Speaking with Kaieteur News on Thursday, Rigby said, “In the wee hours of the morning, we heard a loud cracking sound. It was the back part of the house near the canal collapsing. The house shifted backward, and a support beam underneath broke. Now the whole structure is leaning toward the canal,” Rigby recalled.
He said the house had been in a “deplorable” state since he purchased it earlier this year using his $100,000 cash grant and public assistance funds. “In April, I bought the house from a fella, but I didn’t know it was in this kind of state. The roof was leaking, the walls had holes. When rain used to pour my gosh the hallway would flood, the mattress would soak, and the television was broken,” he said.
Rigby related to this publication, that he has land located in the Vigilance New Housing Scheme on the East Coast of Demerara and has been appealing for help to construct a proper home for his family there. “I am hoping for assistance to help me with materials or anything. I am thankful for receiving 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 and lost my job in August 2023 because I became sick with glaucoma, and I eventually lost my sight. From since then, I have been fighting, seeking assistance, trying to get my kids to go to school.”
He added that both he and his wife are part of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Public Assistance Programme, but the support barely covers basic needs. “The public assistance is $22,000, and to send two kids to school, clothe them, feed them, and pay car and bus fare every day, it’s very hard,” he explained. Rigby also disclosed that he suffers from epilepsy and has been diagnosed with breast cancer, further complicating his ability to provide for his family. Rigby shared that while he has reached out to several organisations and individuals, including Men on Mission (MoM), Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame McCoy, and local businesses. “I did get a response from Men on Mission, but no confirmation yet. I also reached out to Minister Kwame McCoy, but I haven’t received a positive response,” he said.
Some businesses such as Décor and Gift Gallery, Superbet, and Ramchand Auto Spares have occasionally assisted with hampers and small financial contributions. Still, Rigby says what he truly needs is sustainable support, especially materials to build a new home on his land.
Rigby also noted that the family had previously lived nearby but were forced to move due to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. “Where we used to live was clustered up a lot of garbage and smoke. So I moved from the area,” he said. Now, with the structure they moved into dangerously unstable and no job or stable income, Rigby is desperately seeking help. “I just want a better life for my children. That’s all I’m asking,” he pleaded.
Two months ago, Rigby came to this publication, at his wits’ end, seeking assistance for his family. He had previously shared his story about living with a visual impairment. At that time, although his housing situation was stable, he hoped to start a new life in a new land—but recognized he couldn’t do it alone. Now returning for a second time, Rigby emphasizes that his condition has worsened, and he is in urgent need of support to care for his family while managing his visual disability.
Anyone wishing to assist Darrell Rigby and his family can contact them at (592) 671-9479 or (592) 723-8225.
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