‘Uncle, Hunger and ill forced me to sleep, I didn’t suck’ The Words touched the hearts of a Soldier

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It was early in the evening, the sky reflecting back the rays of sun down. You couldn’t clearly recognize the faces of the people walked around you, because of the evening light. The Passers are hurried to do some obligation such as work, prayer, while some other are confronting their iftar.
Oh... the place is not far from the Central Hargeisa Police Station or it faces the front door of the station, especially near the Jig-jiga Yar village Buss station.
‘He slept on floor, he wore a worn out clothes, which can’t cover all his body. When you stare and look careful with his body, you can see that he doesn’t have any ability to protect the coldness of the floor, he is too young. His age is not older than 15 years.
 Hunger and weakness are the two enemies who brought to him this serious situation he is in. At this moment famine affected him, it is a Ramadan, he didn’t get any food, all restaurant that he begged the remaining foods were closed all the people are practicing the fasting of the Holy month of Ramadan, even he couldn’t stand up and look for a place to beg a diet, he too weak to stand up, he can’t move with his two legs, because of famine he is dealing with.
When you deeply look his face you feel the handsome hidden, because of the miserable he struggling with; by the way if he was with his parents, he would have been one of the handsomest boys of his generation.
Let the alone handsomeness, if he gets someone who show him a mercy and brought him a small drops of water, it was became one of his unforgettable days. The places surrounding him were full of cafes which you can feel the smell of different delicious foods, if you glance the next place near to him, you can saw a goats eating mixed remaining food.
No one cares him, because everybody hurried his daily duties, while some of them enjoying the luxuries of the markets, because they were buying expensive clothes for their children to celebrate upcoming festival (Eidal Fitri). The youth are staring each other for reasons of courtship.
Forget his worn out clothes, heat and cold winds may kill him, but at this moment who may give him a food to support his empty stomach, in order to stand his legs.
The unfortunate life and difficulties he inherited forced him to  sleep empty stomach, he is making a small movements and tried to convince himself to sleep, but how can be possible, because his stomach wants food to eat and his body wants energy to rest and society didn’t allow him to do so.
After few moments, strong policemen with a beautiful uniform, holding a strong stick and from the Central Police Station moved to the street boy who struggling the situation he is in.  He shouts a hardhearted words; “What the hell are you sleeping here, f******ck your**” then he hardly hit the strong stick.
He fearfully tried to force his head to move and look the policeman; “Uncle, I feel ill.” But the policeman didn’t feel any regret; even he didn’t interrogate what happened to him. “You pig, get up, you sucked glue,” the policeman said cruelly.
His body shakes because of fear and forced himself to stand, then he answered weak voice and said; “Uncle, Hunger and ill forced me to sleep, I didn’t suck.”
 The soldier feels regret about the situation of the boy, he walked and moved his strong stick beautifully.
During this few moments, I feel hardness of the lives of this young street boy, I tried to help him and also old man rushed and followed me, but at that moment I and the old man didn’t feel each other, because our emotion changed and we feel like the pain of the boy . When we took few steps towards the boy, he looked us and looked other side, but he saw the same policeman he told his suffering, but treated badly. That was the moment he forcefully tried to flee, but he fall down, because of the weakness and hunger he is suffering.  And he fight back to run like a wounded wild animal trying to escape haunter. Fortunately, the policeman didn’t want to harm the boy, he need to feed the boy by some small food he borrowed a restaurant. And who persuade the boy that, because he experienced the merciless of his community.
We try to call and convinced to eat the food, but he run away and hide, after we lost the boy, the soldier gave the food other same street boy, but stronger this boy.
He is not the only one who lives these difficulties, but there are many other boys and girls like him, who are vulnerable to sexual abuse, drugs and human trafficking.
If you intentionally looked around this place (Down town) with kindly hearted you should find out the situation of street children, who lost their future and career of life. They don’t get any care from their population, let alone care they forced to live fear and other intimidation actions.
God will protect them; they don’t see any human being concerning their situation, who advocates their rights and care. Even they don’t feel any kindness. What if they become robbery, armed gangs, organized militia and cannibals, because we don’t show them any welcome?


By: Ibrahim Khadar Sa’ed
Ibraahimkhs@hotmail.com