The Forgotten Children

This post is about an experience i had with a child one evening as i was coming back from a stroll in my area. There was this small child almost about four years old standing by the road side dirty and with a sad face. Apparently, he had been standing there for a long time and begging passers by for money to buy food. I realized that no one was even paying attention to him as he stood there with no footwear and a tattered shirt and shorts.

As i got closer to him, the child approached me and asked for money to buy food. At that very instance, i felt a sharp pain in my heart as if i had been pierced with a spear. I dipped my hands in my pocket and was just praying to God that i should have some money for this child. God being so good, i was able to give him something, but my sadness increased as i left the child who also left the spot to go and buy some food with what i have given him. This happened in a community on a university campus in Ghana ( name of university not mentioned ). What is the university doing to help the communities around it? That's a whole issue on its own which would be dealt with in another post.

Questions started to flood my mind. Who are the parents of this child? Why is he at this particular place at this time of the day? Why should he go hungry? Why have this kid and many others been forgotten? I f i had not passed by that place, does it mean that this child would have gone to bed hungry? Why do some people bring children into the world and refuse to take care of them and provide for their needs? Is it the child's fault to be in this world? These children go through a lot of hardships and they are always wondering where the next meal would come from.

No child should go hungry in our modern world, but what do we see on our streets and in our various communities? Homeless children always roaming the streets, doing dangerous and hazardous jobs just trying to make some money and take care of themselves. It seems society has forgotten the plight of these children who have no one to help them. What can we do for these unfortunate ones who sometimes do not have a place to call home. They are always at the mercy of the weather and prone to all forms of diseases, harassment and abuses. Do we have to sit down and watch all these happen to our unfortunate little brothers and sisters? Let us do our best in our own small ways to put a smile on the face of every homeless and starving child. God bless you all, God bless my homeland Ghana.