So many deaths by fire over the last few years - children chained to beds or locked up in homes, gruesome deaths all faithfully reported in the media.

There are many other children who are left home alone to fend for themselves, by parents who are not necessarily evil, but by parents who struggle.

Talk, especially with some of the female security guards and the nurses who have to work night shift, who leave their children sleeping at home and hope for the best.

And many talk about tying their children for a few minutes when they step out. Most parents believe that they know what is best for their children, but this is not always the case.

The fires have happened in most poor areas.

I don’t know how many poor people read the papers, but some message has to be shouted at the parents who leave their children locked up and chained to the beds that they shouldn’t.

Many poor areas, in addition to rum shops, have prolific faith-based organisations. An appeal to those who might read this letter and have influence over the sermons, please encourage the preachers/pandits/imams to talk to the congregations about finding care for the children and the alternatives which exist and where to go when they think their neighbours cannot cope.

Many of the SN readers would probably look after their children properly, but would probably be in places where people who are employed might not be able to do so, or know of situations where people have to ‘leave their children at home’ to go find work. If Geeta Biss-essar’s short life was worth anything to any of us, please talk about the dangers of leaving children at home, and of the means of providing child care.

If another child dies in a fire at home, we should all be responsible for not trying to prevent it.

Yours faithfully,

Vidyaratha Kissoon