THE STORY OF MANMA, THE CHILD PROVIDER

 Manma was just eight years old when she realized that she was born differently. She was born into a struggling family. She was the oldest of five siblings. Her father was always high and her mother was always looking for food and she had to stay home to take care of her hungry siblings.

This morning she was seated outside in the cold looking down the earth. She sat propping up her knees and resting her chin on her shaking knees. She was sobbing with a stick on her hand and she wrote something on the sand. "Who am I?". Yes who is she? But, I see her in every street of Abak. She is always crying, sometimes I see her begging for bread, sometimes people send her on errands. I saw her the other day wearing tarred clothes and when I tried to say hello she ran. Who is this girl? What kept her in this misery? Who is Manma?

Friends, tell me if you have ever seen her in your street. Please tell me more about her.
What can we do to help her? Do not bother about her color because she can come to you in different skin tones. She is universal. Have you seen Manma, the beautiful skinny girl?

What is she thinking about, asking herself such a question. "Who am I?" during this past year Manma had observed how different she is. She had seen girls of her age go to acquire education which she hopped to get but could not. She had seen many of them get dressed and in the company of their parents walked passed her to go to church. She hoped that one day she would get a clean dress and the first place she would wear it would be to the church. Yes Manma had hoped that one day she and her siblings would eat some well cooked food without being so hungry for it.

Tears rolled down her ashy face as she stroke the sand with her stick. She wiped away the tears with her shaking hand. She heard her mom called from behind, "Manma, what are you doing there? Take care of your siblings while I go deliver this firewood to mama Mathia down the street." Manma, got up and started walking to the little hut that has become a home for the seven.

Oh yes, her mother left the house without preparing any food for her children. She does this often. As a matter of fact there is no food to prepare. She escapes the cries of the children by keeping herself busy running around. Nothing much comes out from her efforts. She had indirectly used Manma to do the odd job of either begging the neighbors for food or stealing from them. Sometimes Manma wished she was never born into this poor and dysfunctional family.

At this point my friends you know the kind I mean. This is the reason I am asking you to locate her wherever you are and see how you can help her. Give a helping hand. Manma and her siblings needs the light you shine. she is confused. She needs someone like you to bring her out of this confusion and misery. She did not ask for this mess when she came into this world. Help!