Welfare officer was told of malnourished boy
-failed to investigate, says good samaritan
Stabroek News
February 9, 2003
A welfare officer was told about Akeem Trotman, the malnourished boy found begging on the street and recently featured in this newspaper, but failed to follow up on his case, according to a woman who tried to help him.
Akeem is still in hospital. But soon a decision will have to be made on where he will go when he is discharged.
His mother Melissa has already said she cannot afford to look after him properly as she has to work to support her family of three. When she was not home, the child, who has a chronic illness, was left to fend for himself even though he needed special care.
It is because he has been left alone so often that Akeem has come in contact with numerous persons who on seeing his appearance immediately reached out to help in a limited way.
After the child was brought to Stabroek News and his story published, the newspaper received numerous calls from people who have had encounters with him.
One woman said how she had seen the child on the road and she immediately called the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and spoke to a senior probation and welfare officer, whose name she gave. She said by then she had found out where Akeem was living and offered to accompany the officer to the home.
But she said she waited for the officer but he never turned up. So she visited the child’s mother and took some clothing and food.
According to the woman, she understood the mother’s situation and promised to get some help for the family.
She visited again on the same day the story was published in the newspaper and the mother was embarrassed by all the publicity. The woman feels that if the welfare officer had got involved none of the publicity would have happened.
After the story was published she spoke to another probation officer who told her that the ministry had a lot of work to do and all could not be done at one time.
“But I told her there is need for them to prioritise these things...” the woman said.
Another woman, who works in the area where Akeem lives said she would usually feed and bathe him. She said it was because of Akeem she had held a Christmas party for children in the area and he had received numerous gifts. She said she was planning to ask for contributions from her customers to help.
“I really feel sorry for him, and I know we could help. Sometimes I feel so vex that I does want thief he and carry he home by me...”
She said that a woman who sells food in the area would also feed him every day and had even approached a home about taking the child. But she said the child’s mother was hostile to the idea.
It appears that various citizens have helped Akeem over the years and in one case even called on the authorities to get involved, to no avail.
