you ask a woman to tell you about her life, she may want to discuss her childhood, family, career or interests. When you ask Alice (her name has been changed to protect her identity) to tell you about her life, the first words out of her mouth are: "I am a single parent. I have three children. I stay in a studio apartment. It's very small.'' It feels even smaller when you hear it is run down and the family of four lives in the one room. Add to that the fact that her children are asthmatic and you can sense the claustrophobia. "The house holds a lot of dust,'' the 34-year-old notes quietly. "There's two layers of carpet and they're full of dust mites.'' Alice rents the studio for $450 a month. It sounds like a bargain until you hear that: "The water is not drinkable. I have to buy water every week. "My oven does not work. My fridge leaks. My yard gets flooded when it rains and I cannot get to my own front door. I have to walk through another yard. "I have to go outside to turn on the water. There's a shed in the yard and rats run around it all day long.'' Surely the landlord will take care of it, you think. But Alice tells you he does not care about the condition of the apartment. "I tell him something needs to be fixed and he won't come. He only comes when it's time to collect the rent. "My landlord does not maintain the yard so I have to pay a man $20 to cut the grass just so my children can go outside and play.'' Alice's oldest son is 17 and is at Bermuda College. He works part-time and contributes to the household. He plans to go away to college and become a robot builder. His mother supports his plan. "He's trying to reach a goal to support himself so he does not have to rely on me. He helps out but wants to make sure he has enough money to go to college.'' Her other son, who is six, is at school and her daughter, aged three, is in a nursery. The boys' father has now re-married and has stopped paying child support. Her daughter's father is in jail but "when he's out he supports her'', adds Alice. She has not pursued them for child support through the legal system because "it takes away time I could be working for me to go to court'', she said. "Then he goes to court,'' she continued. "They tell him he owes so much money but it will be years before I get it and in the meantime they'll lock him up for not paying it anyway. It will not make a difference.'' Alice works full-time at a local supermarket where she earns about $450 a week. She used to work part-time elsewhere but could not earn enough, she noted. "I made just enough to buy groceries and my children's clothes,'' she said. Meanwhile she looked to get a better job with the food and beverage certificate she had earned at the Bermuda College but was unable to find anything. Alice said: "I have chased jobs at the hospital in their kitchen and had no luck. They told me my certificate was not enough to get work there. I even applied for a kitchen porter job at the hospital and they told me it was not enough.'' Finally landing the job at the supermarket allowed her to start paying off bills she had at the Credit Association and a local furniture company. "I have a hospital bill and a doctor's bill from over the years,'' she said. "I have tried to pay them off but couldn't. Now I am working on getting the bills paid off.'' But some weeks there is not enough money left to pay on the bills and supply necessities to her family, said Alice. "No, there's not always enough money at the end of the week to do what I have to do. Sometimes we go without money at all. She added: "If I have to choose between feeding my children and clothing them and paying the bills, I chose to feed and clothe my children.'' Her children are very understanding, she stressed. But you can see that the inability to fill her children's wishes breaks her heart when the tears stream down her face as she tells you the following: "My daughter practically asks me every day for her own room.'' And she adds: "My youngest son, all he talks about is going to Disney World. I tell him that as soon as we can afford it we'll go. "It's because he hears everyone at his school saying that their mamma took them there.'' Alice said she was trying to find better employment and housing but the search to date had proved fruitless. "I look for better jobs. I never stop looking. I can stretch my mind to do anything. "I am trying to find a bigger apartment as well but there's not much out there for young single parents who cannot afford to pay what they (landlords) are asking for. "What irritates me is when you hear people saying housing is not a problem for single parents. It is a problem. I work with people who are single parents as well and cannot find affordable housing.'' Alice has also learned to accept help. "I can't afford to buy clothes for my children most of the time but people offer me clothes for my children when their children grow out of them.'' Her mother passed away when she was younger and her father helps out when he can. Meanwhile her grandmother and aunt have stepped up to help her wherever possible. Alice said: "My granny goes away and buys clothes for my children and when she goes grocery shopping she will pick up something like drink mix for them. "My auntie, she goes out of her way to do anything for my children. She pays their summer camp fees and makes sure they don't go hungry at Christmas time. "They are very understanding. They tell me all the time `we know you want to do things by yourself but sometimes you need help'. I just hate asking people for help. I'd rather be able to just do things myself.'' To accomplish that, Alice would like to go back to college and upgrade her qualifications. When she does, she noted, she will have to find someone to take her children while she is in class. "I have thought about going back to school. I think about it all the time. I cannot ask someone to come to my house and watch my children because it is too small.'' She has sought social assistance but dislikes having to "publicise everything about myself before someone will reach out and help''. "Why should people have to do that?'' she asked. "Then it takes a month after applying for social assistance before you find out if you are eligible,'' she continued. "That's too long if you are desperate.'' Alice said there were a lot of challenges faced by residents yet Bermuda seemed more interested in helping those overseas.