WINDSOR, St Elizabeth – Life has not been good to 33-year-old Rosyln Miller since her common-law husband, Lloyd Campbell, suffocated in a freak accident at the Appleton Sugar Factory just over four years ago.

It was a horrible death.

Thirty tonnes of sugar came tumbling down on Campbell as he worked inside a sugar bin, ending the 11-year relationship which produced three children including twins.

Today, in addition to the sadness of losing Campbell, Miller has been finding it extremely difficult to survive on the monthly $9,000 that the Administrator General’s Department, which manages Samuels’ estate, gives her to care for her three children and herself.

“Bwoy it rough, it really tough,” Miller told the Observer West on Tuesday, outside her unfinished two-bedroom house in St Elizabeth’s small Windsor community.

” Just imagine sending three children to school; buying food; paying school fees, light bill; buy clothes. on that amount of money?”

Miller – who operates a tiny shop, not too far from her house, in which she stocks a few hair products and a small quantity of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages noted that since the death of her lover she has become heavily indebted.

“Right now, mi can’t even pay the children school fees much less to buy all of them school books,” she said.

Her four-year-old twin boys attend the Windsor Basic School where Miller said she is still owing $ 1,500 of school fees for the Christmas term.

“Mi still owe them (the school) some of the fee and just last week them call a meeting and say that mi need to pay the money. But mi just nuh have it,” she explained

Her 10-year-old daughter, she added, is in grade 5 at the Siloah Primary School preparing for GSAT exams but is still without the required textbooks.

Were it not for the generosity of Campbell’s mother and a sister of his who resides overseas, Miller said carrying out her responsibility to her children would be even worse.

However, the Administrator General’s department told the Observer West that the sum paid to Miller was arrived at after an account was prepared having collected the sole asset in Campbell’s estate.

“It is the Administrator-General’s fiduciary duty to determine the amount payable to meet the financial needs of each child especially in light of their ages.

Advances are made to minors based on the “half capital rule” in Intestates’ Estates Property Charges Act. The rule is that we are able to disburse half of the proceeds collected for the general maintenance of the children over time and retain the balance on investment until each minor beneficiary attains the age of majority. We therefore must consider that disbursement will continue for another eight years for the older child and fourteen years for the twins. We must make allowances for unforeseen events which may require financing as the children get older, for example, illness, and school and examination fees.

She told the Observer West that she is now contemplating closing the small shop – which is seldom open – to seek employment.

But in this harsh economic climate, she believes that getting a job is not going to be easy.

“Right now mi seriously thinking of getting a job, but mi know it not going to be very easy, because job hard to get now,” she said.

The seemingly desperate mother is even contemplating approaching the management of the Appleton Sugar Factory- where her spouse died tragically – for employment. But she is reluctant about that move, fearing that the management of the facility, which was heavily criticised by her family at the time of Campbell’s untimely death, would deny her employment.

At the time of Campbell’s death, the management of the factory expressed regret of his passing and extended their deepest sympathies to the family.

The management of the factory also indicated that it would put adequate measures in place to avert a repeat of the incident.

Yesterday, Alty McKenzie, the environment, health and safety manager at the vast estate, told the Observer West that shortly after the incident a platform equipped with doors was installed around the sugar bins. This, he pointed out would allow employees to carry out their tasks without going into the bins.

The estate’s insurance company has also honoured the negotiated settlement arising out of Campbell’s untimely death.

In the meantime the Administrator General’s office says it is not unmindful of Miller’s plight.

“We will continue to do all to safeguard the interests of the beneficiaries. We will endeavour to visit with Miss Miller to again advise her of our responsibility in this matter, the office advised in a communique to the Observer West.