By Fatmata Jengbe
While the world is fighting to combat mental health, a swift approach to put a stop to suicide and untimely death, the contrary is happening with S.O.S Children’s Villages in Sierra Leone.
This highlights the case of Nathaniel Tucker who is facing mental health challenges, from childhood to present. The organisation is refusing to take action for Nathaniel after it received instructions from SOS Children’s Villages International, in Austria, to do so.
In the last two decades, the organisation has proven to be perverse in dealing with domestic abuses; sexual exploitation, education abuse, neglect, corporal treatment, to fraud and corruption. International (internal investigations) interventions were made after the abuses were reported in 2016, but was insufficient due to the inclusion of ‘corrupt-minds’.
Apparently, Nathaniel Tucker, now 27, was integrated into SOS Sierra Leone as a baby. Allegations point that he suffered domestic abuse; corporal treatment and neglect at the hands of the administration that inflicted him, and eventually thrown out of the programme pre-maturely.
In the past 3 – 4 years he has been doing menial jobs at the Lumley market, beach road, in Freetown. Most days, he perambulates the streets of Lumley restlessly, posing as a menace to society.
Nathaniel’s story emerged in June 2019 and shared in public domains with the hope that SOS would take action but to no avail. Though the International Office claimed that they have shared the situation report of Nathaniel to the authorities in Sierra Leone to take action, yet they have continued to drag their feet.
Other cases of former participants of the organisation like Nathaniel have exposed the hazards; health, bully, and sexual exploit of the home office.
The International offices in Senegal and Austria in an email gave their reactions to issue by stating that the current management of SOS Sierra Leone has been receiving support, yet no action has been taken.
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