Small child still begging at Anna Regina car park
August 31, 2013
Dear Editor,
Another school term will commence shortly and disappointingly, as far as can be seen, a young child only about four years old, will still remain at the Anna Regina car park in Essequibo, instead of being in school. He does not seem to have gone to school despite two previous letters that I wrote approximately one year ago highlighting this. All through the rainy season he has remained at the park with his mentally challenged mother, incidentally the wife of the fallen policeman Richard Faikal, begging for almost six hours daily. The only period he may not have been there was when the AnnaReginaMunicipality celebrated Town Day with three days of activities and the park had to be cleared for maintenance and the erection of stalls.
Surely, officials from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour must have seen the plight of this innocent child, yet there appears to be an unwillingness to intervene, despite their powers in relation to child abuse and child labour. This young boy is being ruthlessly denied an education and even more importantly an opportunity to play and enjoy the company of other kids, something that every child should enjoy. What will this child grow up to be when he cannot even comprehend basic questions and seems to be fearful of others, whenever an attempt is made to converse with him? He needs professional help and I am appealing to the relevant authorities to save this child from illiteracy and worse, since various social challenges such as drug and alcohol abuse currently plague the region and are preventing positive growth.
Yours faithfully,
Elroy Stephney
Source: SNews
