EDITOR: Street kids are a norm it would seem in Kingstown. Far too many of them line the streets on a daily basis throughout the day begging. This to me is cause for concern and requires some investigations.

Some of these kids were once residents of the Liberty Lodge Boys Training Centre.

The Liberty Lodge Boys Training Centre is not what it used to be in the days when it started by some missionaries. Today the word of God is not a top priority and the less I say of it is better.

Many of these street kids are abandoned by their parents and left to survive on their own. Sadly some of them eventually end up in jail and in the grave yard at an early age. There are some who choose to take the streets voluntarily.

These are in the minority.

The vast majority are facing challenging situations with very little help and guidance.

Sometimes you wonder where their mothers and fathers are. Many of these kids’ parents should be held accountable and charged for neglect and abandonment. I know that every story or situation has several sides, but the reality is that their parents ought to be responsible for them.

I think efforts ought to be made by the social welfare to investigate these street kids and have their parents also investigated.

If you listen and build up a good rapport and trust with these kids you will come to realize that many times the parents ought to be [the] ones responsible. For some of them are abused by one of their parents, and in most cases the mother and the father have abandoned them. Therefore they as children get involved in things that are negative and so may end up on the streets for survival.

It is time that organizations, social development and churches reach out to these kids who in some cases like to receive free money and food. But in reaching out to them they need to find out why they are on the streets and make an effort to reach their parents. We might be surprised of what we would hear coming from them and also to learn that some of them are just trying to be smart.

All in all we have to agree that these street kids are becoming a nuisance to many and they do need help as individuals and also help to the parents. There might be cases where some parents ought to be charged for neglect, abandonment and even abuse. Let us not forget that these kids have potential and who knows can one day if properly guided become a leader, preacher or somebody great in society. After all they are the men and women of tomorrow.

Kennard King