After living, scrounging and juggling his young life around foster parents, Boys Town, the streets of Observatory at night from age ten to fifteen, he finally found a new home of safety and care.
The past five years living on the street certainly made him streetwise and complimented his manipulative easy smooth talk manner of getting some cash from passers bye, shoppers or the Obs vibe community. Being invited into a home or a ress may have left the kind hearted, unsuspecting and fun loving student out of sorts as later they would discover that an item or two was missing from their abode. In a moment or two he could wind you around his finger in getting something from you, yet dart off in an instant of youthful energy running along to find his next 'friend' or whip around the corner out of sight of the local security, SAPS or from a raised eyebrow. A lie too many and in wanting a quick buck he landed himself up at the Woodstock Police Station, was shipped off to Court the next day for a crime he was suspected of, only to have marched out from custody the same day while awaiting his Court appearance. Back on the Observatory streets it took the ONW to enquire what's up before he was rearrested a week later and taken back to court again by SAPS. I have been able to attend all but one of the five month's worth of court hearings, each time he was placed back to a 'secure home for boys' in Faure. A casual visit to his secure environment enabled me to learn more of him as a young boy, and a subsequent visit was due to an invitation by the home re their 'open day'. Proud as can be of his certificates to prove his self worth to me, I was able to buy some of his hand products of needlework which he had made. The neatly sewn cloth holder I gave to his mother who found it difficult to care for him during those early years, a cushion smartly padded up I left with a friend to give to his father when he is released from Polsmoor, and the oven gloves I gave to an Aunt who cared for him from age three to ten, a gift well meant, as she used to sew for the extra pound in order to maintain house, the extended family and the home. The ACVV who managed his placements via the Children's Court over the years did a sterling work to take the process further of arranging a court hearing for yesterday 20 February. The Legal Aid Attorney did well in that the criminal case was withdrawn by the State due to lack of evidence, and further that she had the case of absconding, due to the boy's potential future before him, converted such that it will not be held against him for now. The Senior Probational officer also applied care and concern in her motivation for the conversion which was presented to the Magistrate. However, in the fine tuning of the two different Court systems, Criminal and Social, in getting him placed into a secure environment for the next two years till age eighteen, crime in Dieprivier nearly scuttled the double proceedings. The Attorney's home was broken into and she was not able to attend Court. Fortunately in keeping an eagle eye out over the process I cautioned the Prosecutor not to postpone the hearing for the next day as the Children's Court and the Home of Safety arrangements were to be jeopardised, thus alternative arrangements were made. Still the youth was shipped back and forth due to some glitches between the two Courts but with a combined effort we managed to literally squeezed him through the cracks in the doors, and successfully had him to be placed at a new home. Walking down the streets of CT between one Court and the other I could sense the anxiety of the youth walking close to his Police Wardens. Leaving the Children's Court after the successful outcome, marching down the corridors to the waiting room from where he will be transferred to his new schooling and secure home, I noticed the change of his walk as twisting the feet slightly on the ball of the foot, relieved from the past and glad to have a place that he could actually look forward to, offering him the opportunity to prove his worth even further, hopefully to himself first. Doing the farewells, he gave thought to thank me first, before he was given a big hug, a squeeze of the hand, and prodding him on to do go and do his best - 'a tribute to all who helped'. James -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to obsnw@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to obsnw+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en.
