By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FORCED to flee a domestic situation last month, 26-year-old mother of two Ashenique Lewis is beginning the new school year without a home, without a job, and with the painful reality that her four-year-old son could not join other children in class today.

In July, Ms Lewis’s former partner was arraigned on a charge of grievous harm after allegedly beating her in front of her four-year-old son. Prosecutors said the man punched her in the face during an argument, choked her on top of her car and slammed her to the pavement, leaving her with three fractured facial bones, nerve damage to the eye, a broken tooth, and other injuries that may require surgery.

Her latest struggles drew public attention after she shared her story in an August 29 Facebook post appealing for help with employment, housing, or financial support. “I honestly never thought I’d be in this position, but life happens I guess, and at this point having pride can’t and won’t help me and my children to survive,” she wrote. “More than anything, I seek stability. I am in need of employment to consistently provide for me and my children.” The post has since been shared more than 2,000 times.

Now living in an Airbnb with her boys, aged four and 11 months, Ms Lewis said her fight is for stability: steady employment, permanent housing, and the chance to give her children a better future.

“I want something stable with a pay that can actually help me to manage my daily expenses,” she said. “The cost of living is extremely high, and I can’t just go on a job paying minimum wage or a little over and stretch that between my children and me. I would want a stable job — one that would work with my schedule as a mother, because I don’t want a job that takes me away from my kids.”

Her son’s absence from the first day of school, she said, was unavoidable. “He’s not definitely starting school because I don’t have anything for him, not even a uniform as yet,” she explained. She said enrolment is impossible without a permanent address, adding that relocating across the island after registering would be unworkable for her as a single mother.

Leaving her mother’s home after what she described as a toxic domestic environment, Ms Lewis said she has had to start over with no car, no apartment, and no steady income. She once operated a small hair-products business, but put it on hold in order to focus on survival. “Permanent housing will be my main focus,” she said. “With that, I can take things like donations and groceries. I can’t really accept anything until I get set up with a place. That’s the hardest part, finding an apartment.”

Despite the upheaval, Ms Lewis said she draws strength from her children. “My children have no one else but me,” she said. “This too shall pass. God is testing my faith. I am proud because there is no amount of financial help that can restore my mental health that was taken away and the toxicity my children would have witnessed.”

Those wishing to assist her with employment, housing, or financial support can contact her via WhatsApp (only) at (242) 433-4381.