On August 28, a story of a growing Surinamese family and their appeal for support captured public attention, as a parliamentary committee traveled to the capital’s main academic hospital to meet a couple who recently welcomed a rare set of triplets.
Ivanka Koedemoesoe, the 32-year-old mother, gave birth to the three newborns on August 21 at the Academisch Ziekenhuis Paramaribo (AZP), marking a special milestone for the facility: hospital records confirm this is the first time a triplet birth has taken place at AZP in a full decade. The birth expands Koedemoesoe and her husband Waldo Brinswijk’s family to seven children total, a joy that comes with unforeseen practical challenges.
Unlike many families who reside in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital and largest urban center, Brinswijk and his family currently live in the country’s inland region. In conversations with lawmakers, Brinswijk outlined the steep difficulties of raising a large young family in the inland, where access to critical basic services is far more limited than in the capital. His core wish, he shared, is to relocate the entire family to Paramaribo so his seven children — including the newborn triplets — can grow up with reliable access to quality education, healthcare, and other essential infrastructure that is harder to access in the country’s rural interior.
To hear the family’s request directly and offer initial support, the Permanent Committee for Social Affairs and Housing (Sozavo) of Suriname’s National Assembly organized a hospital visit just one week after the triplets’ birth. The delegation, led by committee chair Ivanildo Plein and member Aziez Salarbaks, met with Koedemoesoe and her three newborns at AZP, bringing with them essential care supplies for the new babies.
Beyond delivering immediate aid, the visit was designed to let committee members gather first-hand details about the family’s specific needs and challenges. During conversations with both parents, the delegation discussed the family’s current living conditions, the specialized care the triplets require, and the barriers Brinswijk has faced raising his large family in the inland.
Committee representatives confirmed after the visit that they will review the family’s request and explore what support can be offered through the legislative body’s official channels. The family’s relocation appeal will formally be brought to the attention of the national Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing for further review and potential action, as lawmakers work to identify solutions to the concerns Brinswijk raised.