…Says Parents’ Separation Pushed Him Into Scavenging Life
Abiodun Jelil, Chiamaka Mavis & Uthman Olamilekan
A 15-year-old boy, identified as Ayomide Matthew, has appealed to the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, for help to continue his education after being forced out of school and into scavenging as a result of his parents’ separation.
PLATFORM TIMES encountered the teenager on Panseke Road, Abeokuta, during school hours, scavenging plastic waste instead of being in class.
When approached, Ayomide became emotional as he recounted how his family’s breakup dashed his dreams of education and left him homeless.
Speaking in Yoruba, he said, “When my mother left, my dad told me that if I couldn’t follow her to wherever she went, then I should also find somewhere else to go because he could no longer accommodate me.
“With nowhere to turn, I ended up staying with one of our family members. But life there has not been easy. The person I live with told me I must find a job to survive. So, I began picking up plastic waste to earn small money.”
The young boy, dressed in torn and dirty clothes, narrated how his earnings are often seized by his guardian.
“Every day, I walk long distances collecting bottles just to make something little, yet, when I return, she takes everything I earn. She makes a large meal, yet I’m given a small meal to eat. Most nights, I go to bed hungry, wishing for just one more spoonful,” he lamented.
He added that what pains him the most is watching other children go to school while he roams the streets scavenging.
“What hurts me the most is watching the other children in the house dress up and go to school while I’m sent out to pick plastics. I stand there, tears in my eyes, wondering why my life is different.
“While I’m outside working, I see my mates in their uniforms—going to school and returning home with books in their hands. Each time I see them, it feels like my future is slipping farther away,” he said.
When asked about his parents’ whereabouts, Ayomide said, “My mother now stays in Osiele. My dad stays in Totoro. And I am stuck in a place where I am treated like I don’t belong. But I have no other option than to stay and endure.”
Ayomide disclosed that he attended African Grammar School, Quarry Road, Abeokuta, but dropped out in Nursery Two when his parents’ relationship broke down irreparably.
Appealing for help, he said, “I want to beg everyone, especially the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to please help me continue my education. I want to go to school like other children.
“I dream of becoming something meaningful in life and dream of becoming a doctor one day.”
Efforts by PLATFORM TIMES to trace the boy for possible assistance revealed that he could only be found under the Panseke Bridge during school hours.
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