October marks domestic violence awareness month and a Queens couple is doing what they can to get highlight the issue among the borough's Indo-Caribbean community. NY1's Angi Gonzalez filed the following report.
Armed with just a few flyers and a handful of giveaways, Aminta Kilawan-Narine stationed herself, with other volunteers, at a Richmond Hill corner on Sunday.
Joined by representatives from the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, the group set out to conduct outreach on the hot button issue specifically hoping to connect with members of the Indo-Caribbean community.
"This community is hungry for resources and for access to services and we want to be sure we're connecting folks here with the resources that are available," said Kilawan-Narine.
Kilawan-Narine and her husband, Rohan, are the co-founders of the Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus.
Despite the name, the nonprofit, is not limited in who they help but offers those looking for a familiar face somewhere to turn.
"If you're uncomfortable reaching out a city agency and you are deeply rooted in an immigrant population, come to us, we look like you, we can help you with the right connection to make sure your future is safe," said Rohan Narine.
Of all the places in the city to set up, organizers chose to conduct their outreach at an intersection in Richmond Hill because of its proximity to the scene of a deadly domestic violence case.
"Rajwantie Baldeo was a mother and a wife and she was actually brutally murdered," said Kilawan-Narine.
In December 2016, police arrested the 46-year-old woman's common law husband for the crime.
Prem Rampersaud nearly decapitated the victim in an attack near the corner of 103rd Avenue and 124th Street.
This past summer he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to more than 20 years behind bars.
Kilawan-Narine said that case was her call to action.
"Perhaps this incident would have been prevented if the community had known about resources that were available for domestic violence victims," said Kilawan-Narine.
For Kilawan-Narine and the volunteers at her organization, the thought of saving even one life makes all their work worthwhile.