POLOKWANE – Local street children living on the corner of Biccard and Thabo Mbeki Street, as well as those collecting recyclable items from rubbish bins, have been making sure that the children have their own special Christmas with their very own tree.
Three street children, named Happy, Smiley and Gilbert have made the street corner their home.
With the festive season in full swing, they decided they would be making their own Christmas special with their very own Christmas tree.
The boys are aged 14, 15 and 17 respectively and have been on the streets of Polokwane for at least five years.
The boys have made arrangements with local trolley trash collectors to bring them some of the items that they pick up in rubbish bins to help decorate their tree.
Happy told Review that he does not remember ever having a Christmas tree and, being the oldest of the three boys, decided that the street corner they call home needed a bit of decorating.
“We never see nice things and many times pick up a nice-looking button or shiny earring. That is our treasure.”
Happy dreams of one day being in a home where there will be real brand-new presents, specially picked out for him.
The boys are well-known at the shopping centre where they stay and they are being given food or leftovers once a week by a chain store in the area to keep them fed.
Trolley trash collector, Andries Maphoto, told Review he and a few of the other trash collectors have been collecting items for the Christmas tree as many people have been throwing out old toys ahead of the new Christmas gifts.
“We bring the toys or gifts and the boys can then decide to keep them or hang them on the tree.
“These children do not belong to us, we all belong to the street but we look after each other,” Maphoto said.
riana@nmgroup.co.za
