August 17th 2007, just another day in Lima. Willy Pellny followed the routine practiced by thousands of homeless children in Lima every day. He took out a handkerchief, dipped it into a bottle of paint thinner, put it to his nose and inhaled deeply. Asked what he was doing, Willy replied: "Dinner."
Willy was sniffing paint-thinner to suppress his hunger and ward off the cold. An estimated 60,000 children live on the streets of Lima, and almost all are addicted to some sort of inhalant.
The city has targeted glue-sniffing as a focus for its resources, and social worker and part-time Fortuna Aeternitas scout PJ has met scores of young addicts like Willy in his work. "These are boys who should be playing games at recess and learning their multiplication tables. Instead, they're living on the streets of a slum and spending most of their time in a delirious buzz."
PJ has been supporting street children for the past 30 years, and his achievement was recognized on Friday at an opening ceremony for a new headquarters, attended by the country's Vice-President. This was due to be followed on Saturday by a football tournament for street boys, opened by rehabilitated glue-sniffers.
It was during this tournament that young Willy was scouted by PJ and recommended to the academy of Fortuna Aeternitas. Unfortunately, Willy came in at the wrong time, as Fortuna manager Merry had just decided to cancel the U17 team.
If he is sent back to Peru, he will almost certainly fall back into his old habits. Can you not spare a quid, put in a bid in the auction and save him from a future of drug abuse and extreme poverty?
It's heart-breaking, I know... I couldn't stuff more clichées in there than I already did, but it's a good read...
No comments:
Post a Comment