A representative candidate for River Gee in the just ended elections has described street children today as tomorrow’s adults, and warned that if nothing is done to give them the required attention, there would be no future for the nation.
Charles Coffey said children in the streets are the ones who are to take over the affairs of the nation and direct its path to compete with other nations on the globe, and if nothing is done to secure a better future for them, the future could be doomed.
“These children who are risking their lives selling in between cars, those in the ghettos, and others who are begging for food and sleeping on market stalls, no matter of who or where they are, the future of this country rests on their shoulders. They are the ones who will decide how the future of the country is apportioned and as such, parents, community dwellers, as well as the religious community, should see it as an obligation to impart the proper training and discipline into those that will direct the affairs of the state in the not-too-distant future.
“Our up-bringing should propel us to helping these kids who are at risk, some of whom are misguided by their peers, parents, and at times, their communities,” he said, noting that national government should see it as a duty to society and the country to provide appropriate social and economic attention to the future leaders of the country.
He said, “There is so much talent in these children when you interact with them. They are rising stars in various areas such as arts and culture, soccer, music, even in education. I was astonished to have come across one of the kids who is very good at mathematics, but he’s out of school due to fees. If we, as a country can provide the appropriate environment where these talents can be explored, then we can guarantee a future for them and our nation,” stressing that street children also deserve a better life and future.
He made the comments during a telephone conversation with this paper on March 6, 2024 in Monrovia.
Coffey called on the Boakai-led government to work with local and national non-governmental organizations, civil society and community-based organizations, to ensure that children in the streets are in schools and other vocational areas, so as to prepare them to meet the tasks of nation building, governance, and charity.
“If we do not provide these children the opportunity to go to school and become better persons, we are inadvertently preparing a generation that will be an embarrassment to our country,” he warned.
The former PUL boss stressed that proper welfare care should be provided children who are exposed to sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of domestic violence, especially those who are forced to be breadwinners for their families.
“There should be punishment for people who are bringing children to urban communities in the name of helping the parents to send them to school, but are rather abusing them in different ways,” Coffey said.
He added, “Look, my brother, I read one of your vox pops on children selling in the streets and I was shocked to know that most of these children are either living with their aunties or some relatives other than their biological parents. If we begin to punish people for abusing these children, who are to lead in the future, we will be saving at least one-third of our future leaders.”
