Today, the victims of this ineptitude include a 12-year-old girl who speaks as nonchalantly of beingand sexually assaulted by adult men as if she were sharing tales of buying a loaf of bread from the corner shop.
But instead, one boy, who is deaf, and whose friends said was crafty with his hands while at the centre, is now using his skills to create the best joints and glue cartons. He and his friends regularly brawl over his creations. “People keep telling me that what they are doing to me is rape, but I don’t see it that way. At least I get to eat and be clean for a few days before the men get tired of me and choose another girl.”
A 16-year-old boy interjects: he wants to be a lawyer so that he can one day speak on behalf of children when they get into trouble. When the provincial government enthused about its opening, it said the centre would “provide shelter to orphans, children suffering from abuse and children from dysfunctional families”.
“This place used to be buzzing with children, who received much-needed care away from the painful situations they were rescued from,” said a neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous. “But it was very scary to many of us that a fire could start at the centre and no one would know how or why it happened,” he said. He is quick to add that his peers were now in Grade 7, perhaps to reassure himself — and us — that he was not too far behind and could still catch up should he get the chance to do so.
“It really gets tough on the streets, we hurt each other a lot and I think it is a miracle that I am still alive. Given the opportunity, I would love to go to a trade college because I really am good with my hands,” he says. He had not answered any questions at the time of publication despite repeatedly saying that he would respond, and theWhen night falls, the children gather at the local mosque, taxi rank or food outlets as a final hustle to buy something to eat, as well as to score their glue and nyaope for the night.
The quiet, empty streets are suddenly flooded with screaming, laughing children, their joy-filled voices reverberating across the small town, providing a moment’s respite from a difficult existence.
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🤬 Our government is failing our children. What future will our country have in this state? Think about that the next time you vote
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