By Emmanuel Koffa
A heartbreaking situation has unfolded in Barclayville, Grand Kru Cunty, where a seven-year-old boy, Destiny Doe, has reportedly been surviving on the streets for nearly four months.
The situation is reported that the infant was allegedly forced out of his home by his mother.
Instead of attending school and enjoying the safety of a home, the young boy now spends his nights sleeping on strangers’ porches, and his days are also passed while searching for “leftover food.”
On Friday, March 13, Destiny told this newspaper that his mother (not named) allegedly drove him from their home in the Camp #3 Community.
The mother reportedly accused him of unsuspectingly taking her red bowl.
According to the child, he denied the accusation, and explained that someone else had taken the bowl. However, he said, his mother refused to believe him.
“She beat me and told me to leave the house,” Destiny said quietly.
Since that day, the second-grade student says he has been depending on the kindness of strangers for survival.
Destiny previously attended Thomas K.F. Seedee Elementary School in the Kayken Community, but said, his education abruptly ended when his mother allegedly burned his school uniform in the aftermath of the accusation.
With no home and no access to school, Destiny, who now has no destiny, says he now survives by eating “leftover food from cookshops’ owners and households around Barclayville.”
“I eat people’s balanced food after they finish. I also scavenged,” he said.
Residents in the area say the child is frequently seen wandering the streets; appearing hungry and without proper shelter.
“He is just a little boy. Sometimes, we feel sorry for him when we gave him food,” one resident said.
While efforts are currently underway to locate the mother to obtain her response regarding the allegations, Destiny has appealed for help from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, humanitarian organizations, and well-meaning individuals to find shelter for him, and return to school.
The situation has raised concern among some residents in Barclayville, who have called on authorities and child protection agencies to urgently intervene.