The week started off on a bittersweet note for the 12-year-old Avian Park boy who had never seen the inside of a school as he prepared to start his much anticipated academic journey.
According to Ronel Johannesen – who played a pivotal role in getting the boy his identity document – Geraldo finally felt what it is like to prepare for school.
“He asked his grandfather if he could take a bath at 17:00 on Sunday (5 June) so that he could be ready the next morning for school,” says Johannesen
Clothed in a brand-new school shirt, grey trousers and black school shoes, Geraldo set foot on RK Primary School on Monday (6 June) in the hopes that he would officially start his schooling at long last, but unfortunately it was not to be . . . at least not yet.
Standard reported on Geraldo’s situation before (“Sonder van, sonder geboortesertifikaat”, 17 March)and “Geraldo (12) kan dalk eindelik eie van kry”, 14 April), so his being placed at RK Primary School is the latest instalment of an ongoing saga.
On Monday, the process of enrolling him at the school had to be delayed because the social worker handling the case did not honour the appointment she had made with Geraldo and his grandfather Louis Mpinda last Friday.
“The social worker went to their house last Friday to inform them they had to be here today at 10:00, but we don’t know where she is,” Johannesen told Standard outside the school on Monday.
“The meeting with the learning institution was not confirmed, and I believe there was miscommunication with the client. I requested the client to be prepared should the school representative confirm to meet on Monday. The meeting did, however, take place at a later stage, and we are in the process of finalising enrolment so that the child concerned can start school in the new term,” says Nande Trom, the social worker handling the case.
She also mentioned efforts are currently being made to obtain an identity document for the mother of the child, so she can register his birth. “This can be a lengthy process that requires patience.”
“In closing, I can assure you all relevant stakeholders are working tirelessly to ensure the child concerned is enrolled at a school and obtains a birth certificate, ” Trom added.
Disappointment could clearly be seen in his eyes on Monday when he was told he would start school only on 19 July, the start of the third term.
All the while Geraldo’s eyes wandered nervously around the office in which his grandfather, the school principal, two ward councillors and Johannesen were seated as they discussed his future at the school.
RK Primary is willing to accommodate Geraldo for a probation period of two weeks.
According to the school principal, Hubert Titus, he will be placed in Grade 3 for the time being and an assessment will be done to determine which grade he will be going to.
“Here at RK Primary School we believe in giving children, especially those whom the odds are stacked against, the opportunity to flourish.”
Titus, who clearly spoke with passion and determination to help Geraldo, shared that as a parent of a child with a disability one is often determined to open the doors that are often closed to them.
“That is why we decided to open the door for Geraldo,” he added.
The odds were stacked against the young boy from birth as his parents are drug addicts who never had his birth recorded with the Department of Home Affairs.
Owing to the circumstances his grandfather and late grandmother took him in and he has lived with them his entire life.
When his grandmother died a couple of years ago his grandfather had to play the role of a mother, father, grandmother as well as grandfather.
