By Nasratu Kargbo
An 8-year-old orphan, disabled after surgery, has been stopped from going to school in the village of Makiteh Koya Chiefdom due to his depressing health condition.
The boy whose identity we cannot reveal for sensitivity reasons crawls on his waist and can hardly control nature’s call, which reportedly forced the school authorities to stop him from attending classes.
Politico came into contact with the boy in Makiteh, northern Sierra Leone, and his aunt Ramatu Conteh who looks after him, says he used to put on diapers but since he drags himself they are torn easily and she cannot afford to buy them all the time.
She explained that the boy was born with a growth on his hip for which the mother took him for surgery, then a baby. However, the surgery went wrong “It seemed as though his veins were affected during surgery which led to the child being paralyzed,” Conteh said. She added that as he grew older they noticed that he could not walk.
She explained that his parents are dead and that he has been with them ever since, explaining that the boy goes to the junction every morning to beg.
The boy was using a locally made wheelchair to move around but it was damaged by his peers whilst they were playing, the aunt explained.
Instead of going to school like most of his age mates in the village, he goes to the village’s junction on a daily basis to ask for alms. His house to the junction takes about five minutes of normal walk.
The boy looked cheerful, bold, and smart- a contrasting picture to his sordid and heart-wrenching condition.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (08/09/23)
