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As a child, Amoya Lindsay dreamt of owning a top-tier cosmetology business that would attract elite customers. Even in the face of unimaginable hardship, she felt her dream was in reach.

When she attended The Queen's School, Lindsay, a 24-year-old mother of three, took a step closer to that dream. She secured Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) passes in mathematics, English, integratedsScience, and social studies. Yet, the harsh realities of life have kept her from reaching that potential.

"Mi did always want to become a hairdresser because mi love do hair," said Lindsay who spent most of her childhood years in state care. She told THE STAR that she became a ward of the State after a neighbour called the authorities, having seen her unsupervised at home. Her mother, she said, left them in the care of another person, and went to the hospital to have a baby.

"It wasn't mi mada fault because she did take in to have baby and someone was suppose to keep mi and didn't, so mi grow up in 'homes'," she recalled.

Lindsay now calls a pitiful shack in Salt Lane, a depressed area that hugs the dump in Morant Bay, home. She shares the dwelling with her partner, Kemar Brannaton, their four-year-old stepdaughter, and two young daughters, aged one and two.

"I've lived in Whitehall, a nearby community, but moved here when my mother left the area," Lindsay explained. "Now, mi live right near di dump. Sometimes it feel like there's no way out."

As she cradles one of her toddlers, her tired eyes tell the story of a woman worn down by life's relentless challenges. However, she is eager for her story to change.

"If mi get a chance to go back to school and go HEART [HEART/NSTA Trust] and get certified, mi would be glad because that could transform mi life," Lindsay said.

The HEART/NSTA Trust provides a variety of technical and vocational education & training options to Jamaicans.

Lindsay has not applied for a place at any HEART institution because she has no one to take care of her young children. She has, however, applied for assistance through the state-run Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH). Despite her application "months ago", Lindsay is yet to receive a visit from PATH assessors to determine whether her children qualify cash grants under the government programme.

"Dem say dem was coming to look at the place but no one come as yet," said Lindsay, a mix of hope and frustration in her voice. "Mi wish mi could get some help to start up a little business where mi can by things and sell. I would do that in the meantime, even if mi get a chance to go HEART so mi can make life easier for the children," she added.

Living in a community marked by extreme poverty, Lindsay often faces difficulties in providing for her children. The family's sustenance comes from her partner, Brannaton, a fisherman, but their income is unpredictable and often insufficient to meet even the most basic needs.

Brannaton, too, feels the weight of their circumstances. "Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don't," he said, his voice heavy with the struggles of everyday life.

"Right now, we would really want some clothes for the children and other things. Mi don't have a national ID and no matter how mi try to get it, mi keep hitting roadblocks. The only ID mi have is a fishing one."

Kemar spoke candidly about the hardships he faces, particularly the constant battle to improve their living conditions.

"About five years mi build it because mi did live further down but because of family confusion, mi move and build this. When it rain, the place wet so mi use tarpaulin and cover what mi can," he said.