Little Jonathan is Growing Up
“I am the winner, see it here!” Shouts Jonathan (5) triumphantly, as he holds up the coin he found in a pile of sand. Jonathan and his best friend, Jacob, are playing their favorite game: find the coin.
In 2011, when Jonathan joined his SOS family at SOS Children’s Village Gwagwalada near Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, he could barely understand anything that was said to him. He could barely interact with his new siblings. He had just been rescued from the streets where he and his mother were roaming, homeless and confused.
Today, Jonathan has come a long way. He is a lively little boy, always running around making new friends and asserting himself in his environment. He is sharp, quick-witted and very, very talkative.
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A picture of Jonathan and his SOS mother when he first arrived at the SOS Village in 2011 |
“Penelope is my best sister and I love her very much,” Jonathan shared in class recently. Mrs. Itodo, his teacher, had asked him who his best friend was. Every day after school Jonathan can be found playing with Penelope in the playhouse outside their family home. They like to chase each other up and down the ladder leading to the playhouse.
Jonathan and Penelope both attend the SOS Kindergarten in Gwagwalada and his teacher has noticed that he is very protective of his sister. “Whenever anyone offends or tries to disturb Penelope, Jonathan is always quick to run to her aid. He is always doting over his sister making it very clear to his peers how much he values her as his favourite sister,” said Mrs. Itodo.
Jonathan is indeed a lucky boy. He has adjusted well to his family life and the environment and loves to go to school. All the neighbours are very used to the little boy and his sister walking the short distance to school, hand-in-hand.
“I am so happy. Next year I am going to primary school,” he shares happily. He just started his new school-preparatory class a few days ago.