Little One

The Little One stood out like a sore thumb.
Her face had patches of white caused by powder that wasn't applied properly or from a powder of inferior quality.
Along with her were two smaller ones, who she was trying to keep in check.
She couldn't have been more than than 8 years old but she was burdened with the responsibility of taking care of her two younger siblings.

The Little One stood in one of the ultra modern shopping complexes that was fast becoming part of the economic landscape and was helping to promote the false impression of a booming economy and a growing middle class.
Along with her siblings, she had a huge shopping cart in front of her seemingly trying to decide what she was supposed to do.
I couldn't tell whether she was waiting for someone (hopefully she hadn't just been abandoned) or she was out in a world she didn't fit into.

Around her were little ones of her age group, little ones of expatriates and well to do citizens having fun, pushing shopping carts along with their mummies or nannies and reaching for products they had seen on TV.
In the midst of these activity was this Little One, who was forced to grow up fast, abandoning the joys of what it meant to be a child, would this Little One be the next legend that would take her world by storm? Unfortunately, in the country this Little One lives she would be lucky to get a good education.
This Little One is most likely taking her siblings on a treat, from the little money she had earned from crisscrossing major roads to hawk food items rather than being in a classroom receiving an education, which the country's government has not seen as a worthwhile venture to adequately invest in.
Even if this Little One was off the streets and in a classroom, the education she would get would be from teachers who were teaching with the same syllabus/curriculum used 10 years ago,how then would she be able to compete equally in this dynamic global village.

This Little One would be lucky not to be sold into a marriage, without an understanding her body or what the institution of marriage entails.
This Little One would be fortunate not to be forced into a marriage to satisfy the sexual perversions of a man, much older than her, especially one who ought to know better, but rather hides under the cloak of religion.
Luckily these Little One may just be sold into the household of a wealthy politician who has embezzled enough to satisfy every whim of his third and fourth generation unborn, so that she can have a lavish happily ever after, even though the pains of her childhood would haunt her.
This Little One was most likely born into earth to make an impact but because of a lack of proper family planning on the part of her parents, she is one of 15 and still counting from a child making factory.
This Little One would be lucky if her father was sober when he named her and can remember her name despite the number of children he has.