THE family of a three-year-old girl, who is visually impaired in one eye, claim they are using her to solicit funds for further medical treatment and to help them put food on the table.

Anita Devi, 46, mother of Angelina Katherine Angeline, a toddler who suffers from congenital glaucoma, says the family has no other choice.

A team from The Fiji Times came across two young girls and a man carrying Angelina, soliciting funds from the general public at Martintar, Nadi, at about 9pm on Monday. The girls said they were Angeline’s sisters and the man was a family friend.

Ms Devi said her husband died three years ago.

“He was the only one working and when he died. My daughters and I turned to begging to survive,” she said.

“My daughter Shobna is 17 and was educated up to Class 5 and Swastika, 16, went to Lautoka Special School up to class 2.

“But both had to drop out because we simply could not afford to send them to school anymore. When Angelina was born and doctors told us she was sick, we had to do a lot of running around and we spent most of our money looking after her.

“Right now, I am sick and I need medication, so the $50 a month that I receive from the Social Welfare Department is not enough. That’s why I let Shobna and Swastika go around Nadi to beg for money. What else can we do?”

Ms Devi said the house they were living in at Navo, Nadi, belonged to sugarcane labourers and her family would have to vacate the dwelling when the harvesting and crushing season starts in July this year.

“I don’t know where we’re going to go from here,” she said.

This newspaper published a story in April last year about the family’s request for financial assistance for medical treatment.

This resulted in a flood of inquiries from good Samaritans.

The Rotary Club of Lautoka and Rotary Oceania Aid for Children came forward to assist with medical bills and accommodation while others donated cash, which helped with travel arrangements and food costs.

Angelina travelled to Australia six months ago and had the glaucoma successfully treated.

Ms Devi said the funds donated by generous benefactors had been used up and the family needed to raise more funds to complete the treatment process.

“They treated what was wrong with her eye, but she needs to get an artificial eye and we need more money to do that,” she said.

The Social Welfare Department was yet to respond to questions sent by this newspaper on Tuesday when this edition went to press last night.