REPORT ON A CASE STORY
FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH ELLIE
After the street work training and head counting I reduced the number of visit in waterloo because I was studying for my examination. But within then something happened which makes me to reflect on the training conducted by Streetinvest.
On the 11th December 2011 at about 22; 45pm I walked by a place known as Furniture Junction Allentown closer to my residence. I saw somebody standing closer to a tree near a building. Seeing this person I became a little bit afraid and decided to go closer and ask. Fortunately I heard a voice of a child and I ask her to come out of the dark and she came out. I saw her carrying a bag in her back and wearing a short skirt and polo which was very dirty and automatically I knew that something was wrong with her.
I remember the training part with StreetInvest about "active listening" and I began to ask her open ended question in order to listen to her story. Show concern by using bodily language or gestures [nodding, maintaining eye contact and answering]. She was able to say something that her mother was dead about three [3] years ago and her father is a soldier and is living in the military barracks near Waterloo. Ellie does not know her father because she has been staying at Calaba Town all her life with her step mother at 4 Deen Drive Mayekineh Calaba town. Ellie continues to explain that her step mother had been very hostile to her as she does all the domestic jobs and other errands. She has been going to school late constantly.
After explaining these things she pauses and then shed tears. I encouraged her, and further ask about the father's response to this situation. She said her father normally come once a while because he is busy in his job. Ellie said, the last time her father came though she could not remember when, he gave her money for transportation so that Ellie could go to Benguma for holiday. And later when Ellie requested for transportation to go the step mother refused giving her. Ellie develops hatred for the home and decided to abscond after school to walk to Benguma Barracks which is about 18 to19 kilometers. Before she live home she put some cloth in her school bag and some books because she planed not to go back home. I ask her age, she said twelve [12] but she was very eloquent and speak clearly so I ask her educational level, she said grade seven [7] which is the beginning of secondary school in Sierra Leone
INTERVENTION
In her story she mentions that she is hungry and that she did not eat throughout the day. She also expresses strong desire to go over night to see her father. But she had no money. I used the child centered approach in speaking to her, seeing her as the expert of her own situation by asking her what she wants. She express her desire to go and see her father that night. Since she refused to go home, I have to present this situation to her gently and not imposing it to her. Looking also at the "best interest of the child" I told her, now it pretty late. You are a child and a girl too so it is not safe to be out on the street now because there are bad guys who could sexually abuse you or capture you for rituals and other purposes. And as a girl, you are exposed to other risks while walking along the street alone.
After presenting this "risk" I ask what she think. She pause a while and ask me to help her pass the night. After she made this request I felt bad because my place is congested with my cousins who are boys. I tried my neighbor who fortunate to meet us in the process and show a negative perception by judging the child that Ellie did not want to take control and that she must have been a street girl. So I tried to change her perception by asking her questions because she was a mother of three kids. I ask her, if she actually loves her children, she said YES. I ask if she could appreciate her rival to bring her children up. She said NO. I ask why, she look at me and said she might not take good care of them. And then I told her do you ever think why your children did not go out on the street is because you take good care of them. From this point she said YES it TRUE. But she confesses of having a space problem otherwise she really wanted to help.
I was really worried about her safety, and then I thought of a police post nearby which is in this community so I resolve to take her there for the following reasons.
- For her to pass the night
- For her safety
- For me to be safe in the hands of the law, because we street workers must be concourse and aware of ourselves legally, morally and socially.
Unfortunately I went to see her later in the morning at the police post I was told that she had escaped out of the police post unnoticed.
On the 12th December 2011 I went to calaba Town in search of the address she gave to me but I was unable to see it. On the 13th December 2011 I went to Benguma barracks I was shown his place but unfortunately he had gone for work.I am still on the search.
GENERAL COMMENT
This child is about to be a street child. Most of these children are on the street because of the activities of an adult who failed them.
The training from StreetInvest has actually created an impact as it gave an insight into street work. This we used to train other street worker all over the country. We felt it direct impact as participant in Tongo stage a radio discussion about the issues of street children and the course of teenage pregnancy and dropout in their local radio station and up till now most are calling appreciating as they are now seeing and handling practical issues pertaining children.
Thanks to StreetInvest.