Richard
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My name is Richard and I come from a family of four children: two boys and two girls. I am the last born in our family and I am 11 years old.
I was living in Ndola when my mother died. My father was not able to take care of me, so I was sent to live with my auntie. One day a friend of mine asked me to go with him to Lusaka to buy computer games. I agreed because I love games so much. I asked him how are we going to travel to Lusaka, and he told me that he will buy us bus tickets. He used to wash cars at the bus station and was given money for this work. We arrived in Lusaka very late at night and I was feeling very hungry, but my friend told me that we will eat in the morning when his auntie will come to pick us up. We went to sleep in the corridor of one of the shops at the bus station. When I woke up in the morning I could not see my friend. That was how I started moving around the town and after some hours I found myself at the Soweto Market. There I met with "T-J": a young man who was living there. He told me that I will be playing with his younger brother - Robert, because I didn't know anyone. Robert said that he will teach me to speak CiNyanja because where I come from, we are speaking CiBemba. |
RICHARD:When I woke up in the morning I could not see my friend. That was how I started moving around the town and after some hours I found myself at the Soweto Market. |
I told Robert that I was very hungry and asked him where are we going to get food from. He told me that we will be picking the leftovers from restaurants at the market. I was shy to do so, but he told me that buying food was a waste of money, which we would rather use to buy other things.
When night came, Robert took me to the Northmead Area where I met many young and big boys who were spending nights there. They introduced me to sniffing "stika". I was told that it will make me stop feeling shy and hungry.
I stayed there for some days and after that, one evening around 22 hours, I met with Mr. Bout. He asked me what I was doing there and where I come from. I told him my story and he asked me if I would like to go with him to the center where they keep boys. I accepted to go with him.
At Home of Hope, I met my friends. I was given food and clothes and everything I needed. After some weeks they took me back to Ndola to meet my family. My auntie was very happy to see me again because she did not know where I was and if I was alive.
We came back to Lusaka and I started going to school. I am very happy here and have made many friends. I have even stopped thinking about going back to the streets. When I finish school I want to study Law.
When night came, Robert took me to the Northmead Area where I met many young and big boys who were spending nights there. They introduced me to sniffing "stika". I was told that it will make me stop feeling shy and hungry.
I stayed there for some days and after that, one evening around 22 hours, I met with Mr. Bout. He asked me what I was doing there and where I come from. I told him my story and he asked me if I would like to go with him to the center where they keep boys. I accepted to go with him.
At Home of Hope, I met my friends. I was given food and clothes and everything I needed. After some weeks they took me back to Ndola to meet my family. My auntie was very happy to see me again because she did not know where I was and if I was alive.
We came back to Lusaka and I started going to school. I am very happy here and have made many friends. I have even stopped thinking about going back to the streets. When I finish school I want to study Law.