Sylvester's story

Abandoned by his mother, beaten by many in his community, left to fend for himself in the garbage piles-- this is Sylvester’s story. Sadly, it is a story we’ve heard many times before, but it never becomes less tragic.

Sylvester is maybe seven years old; no one knows for sure. He is very small and possibly autistic. The popular Liberian belief is that he is ‘not correct in his mind,’ and thus less than human, not worth caring for, feeding or loving. Thankfully, there are some who don’t share that opinion. When Salome, one of the orphanage directors we work with, found him and saw no one else would stand for him, she did. She scrounged the community looking for his family and instead only found a frightening story about abuse, neglect and abandonment.

“I couldn’t just leave him there,” she said, telling me his story. “I had to do something.”

Sylvester has been rescued. He is finding relief under Salome’s care. Thanks to the support we are able to give Salome’s orphanage, through donations from our child sponsors and other partners, Sylvester now has another chance at life.