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When Sandrean Bailey was 24, she got into a fight with a young man in her community and received a blow to the head with a 'two by four', she has been visually impaired since.

A year after the injury, she lost her house to gang violence, as it was set ablaze and burned to the ground.

But Bailey said she was able to overcome because of her fighting spirit, and sought training with HEART. She started seeking assistance from organisations that empower the diasbled.

"I went to Portmore Self-Help (Disability Organisation), where I got some help, and went back to HEART Garmex Academy, where I got certified in level one customer service. I then went to Creative Crafts, where they train blind people to do craft work and I graduated top of the class," she said.

Despite her arts training, Bailey went into farming on an acre of land in 10 Miles, Bull Bay.

Bailey said she planted mangoes, pumpkin, and other cash crops, and just recently decided to go into livestock farming, starting off with eight pigs.

Encountered misfortune

She had a lucrative business selling her produce in downtown Kingston. But last year she encountered misfortune.

"As I registered my farm and buy a little old car, my mother got sick. She's diabetic and had her foot cut off," she said.

The 34-year-old mother of two said she had to bear the cost of her mother's surgery, and that placed a huge financial strain on her farm.

"Right now I have 25 pigs on the farm but mi cya even feed dem," she said.

She said she had to resort to selling other items like wipes and rags, but this has been difficult lately.

"I realise from the other day that my sight deteriorating worse. Even the other day, I met in two accidents selling in the streets," she said.

Bailey said the sales are few and with the back-to-school rush, she's at a loss.

"My son father is dead, my daughter father doesn't really do anything, and my sight is deteriorating. It a stress mi. Weh day when mi get the PATH, mi buy mi son one uniform, and mi buy mi daughter two, but nothing else nuh buy," she said.

Bailey said she was not used to begging people for anything but she is desperate.

"From mi a 15 mi deh pon my own, and mi do bar work. Mi do all kinda work, build myself as an independent individual knowing that I have to depend on me. Now mi fall here suh. What I really need is a help to empower mi business likkle more," she said.

People who want to assist Bailey can contact her at 876-440-9616 or 876-330-3262