WATCH: Sunshine Girl and family receive keys to new home after Rum Lane firebombing
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Sunshine Girl Latanya Wilson and her family were all smiles as they received the keys to their new home from Sport Minister Olivia Grange on Wednesday after their house was destroyed by fire two weeks ago.
Wilson was one of several victims who reside on Rum Lane in Kingston whose house went up in flames in an early morning blaze on August 24.
It is suspected that the fires were the work of arsonists. A total of seven families, including adults and children, amounting to 30, were left homeless.
READ: WATCH: Sunshine Girl among 30 affected by early morning fire on Rum Lane
Up on learning of the plight of the national netballer, Grange made a pledge to lend assistance, and on Wednesday, she handed over documents to Wilson and her family, along with the keys to their new house.
Wilson while accepting the documents and keys, expressed immense gratitude to the minister and other supporters who came forward to assist the family.
“Today I am really happy that at 22 years old getting a lease to own your own place, it is quite… I don’t even know the words to actually express myself but it is just an amazing feeling and I am super happy for the sponsors— the Government that came on board; the ministry for coming on board to assist me; NHT (National Housing Trust) for just taking that phone call and coming down by Rum Lane— I was even worried for you guys safety— but I am happy you guys took that time out to actually come and just comfort myself and my family,” Wilson said.
“It meant a lot to me— not just to me but the community. We fight a lot and stuff like that but when all of that is finished we are one, we are loving and we definitely look out for each other. As it concerns to them, there are still 29— I think— persons who are out of a home and I am happy that the government will actually assist them in whatever area that they can and they have been getting assistance from the government so I just want to say a big thank you to everybody,” Wilson added.