HELP HELP HE NEEDS A START UP

Sharwayne Lennon has dreams of becoming a famous musician, but that seems extremely far-fetched at this point. The teenager, who is believed to be between 16-19 years old, is living in abject poverty and is badly in need of assistance.

“I barely remember my mother as I was told that my siblings and I were placed in foster homes from I was about two, as my parents had mental issues. I have been in four boys’ home, with the last one being Mannings Boy’s Home in St Elizabeth,” he said.

Sharwayne lives in Mount Moses in north west Clarendon. The slippers on his feet are his only pair and he barely has clothes.

OUT OF SCHOOL

He has been in and out of high school. His formal education stopped at grade nine at St Elizabeth Technical High School.

Sharwayne told THE WEEKEND STAR that he once had the ‘perfect’ life, as he lived with a foster mother. However, that was short-lived when his father snatched him away.

“I wanted to go back to my foster mom but she neva waah mi ,and she left and go live a Canada, so now here I am, and is like mi a lose hope,” he said.

The teenager’s only source of income is derived from doing odd jobs. He oftentimes depend on the goodwill of neighbours for food.

“Mi really feel sorry fi him, cuz him no deserve any a this,” shopkeeper Pauline Mowatt said. “This likkle boy living conditions no fitting, even fi someone in jail. Him practically live in a garbage heap,” she said.

Sharwayne’s house is located on top of a steep hill. It is a broken-down, hut which is surrounded by debris. His bed is a piece of sponge that lays on the dirt floor. There are old clothes everywhere. Not far away from the bed is Sharwayne’s kitchen. It consists of broken blocks, which are used to make his stove. There are pots and pans in the corner as well.

“I feel really bad because mi really nuh waah live my life like this. It is like mi no have no future. A night-time me feel really ‘fraid, because no light no in here. A just me and me little dog. Rats and roaches are here a lot,” he said, between sighs.

His mood lit up a bit as he showed THE WEEKEND STAR team his little farm, hardly big enough to speak about.

“A my little farm dis. Mi plant little yam, cane and pepper so me can survive. Mi really wish me would get some help. No water no up here, so me just depend on the rainwater; and me no have no toilet, either,” he said, as his expression of sadness returned.

“I don’t want to be a beggar, I just need a start in life. Mi hear seh where me live now belongs to mi father, so if somebody could just help me fix it up and help me get a work, mi would help miself to become a musician . Mi really no wa live so,” he added.

Currently, he said his biggest motivators are his neighbours, who always encourages him to keep the faith.

“Mi really wish me coulda help him, but me no have it. Him a willing and humble likkle youth who mi really no waah see fall by the wayside,” his neighbour, Delores Mowatt, said.