Abandoned by his family as an infant, Daniel Ayoung has faced challenges too numerous to count.
Now 24, he believes not even the Government has given him the support he needs.
At just one month old, Ayoung was placed in the St Mary’s Children’s Home. He claims that his experience at the Tacarigua home was similar to those listed in the findings mentioned in both the 1997 Robert Sabga report and the 2021 Justice Judith Jones report, which highlighted abuses experienced by wards of the state at children’s homes across the country.
Ayoung alleges he suffered both physical and sexual abuse at the hands of staff members at the home. He described in chilling detail the haunting memory of that abuse by a male employee, which he said began when he was just 13 years old.
“When he (an employee) started to strip, he turned me over on my back. And to be honest, he penetrated me and as soon as he did that, I get up one time ... started to scramble with him, started to pelt chairs and thing towards him and exit the door and ran out naked out of the kitchen straight up to my dormitory and reported it to the supervisor,” Ayoung recalled.
Numerous reports were made by Ayoung to supervisors and managers at the home, but he claimed instead of being protected, he was persecuted and accused of trying to tarnish the image of the home. This left him feeling lonely and forgotten and as a result, his mental health suffered.
“It was difficult just seeing other children’s parents come in to visit them. And I say to myself as a child where is my parents, when my parents going to come to give me a little snack as a child or to give me a hug,” Ayoung said.
In the years that followed the abuse, Ayoung was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. He said the medication he was prescribed caused various symptoms, which contributed to his inability to finish his high school education.
Last year, Ayoung was kicked out of the children’s home, as he had surpassed the age of most residents. With no one to turn to, he joined the groups of homeless people living in Port-of-Spain, scavenging for food and sleeping on the streets.
His first thought was to locate any family he may have. Armed only with his mother’s name, he started his hunt at the hospital where he was born in 1998.
“The nurses told me that ‘yes’ they have a file. They give me a number for her, I called the number, I didn’t get through. They gave me an address. I went to the said address, I did not get through. When I went to the address I saw a house and is only bush around the house,” he said.
Already emotionally exhausted, Ayoung gave up and vowed to focus on his own development to avoid further disappointments.
Full of determination, Ayoung started looking for a job but was unable to obtain one. He said this was because everywhere he went required a recommendation letter. He tried to obtain one from the children’s home but claims he was told they do not provide those types of letters.
Ayoung claimed he visited the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services on several occasions but said he was rejected because he was not eligible for the assistance he was seeking.
“They told me that I can’t get public assistance because I don’t have no fixed place of abode ... no address then. So they say that I can’t get no public assistance. I can’t get a food card and I’m not disabled. So they squash everything right there,” Ayoung claimed.
Ayoung continues to fight for survival on the streets of Port-of-Spain and struggles to find a safe place to sleep and food to eat. Despite his troubles, he arrived for his interview well dressed and clean, only the emotion in his voice betraying the hopelessness he faces on a daily basis.
However, he is striving to achieve some kind of stability and said he has hope that things can get better.
“I’m 24 years of age and I’m too young to give up. So that is why I’m persistent and I continue fighting on a daily basis. I won’t let it get the better of me. I will continue fighting because I really want to get my life in order to get a stable job to get somewhere to rest my head comfortably, so I don’t have to be panicking when the night come to get something to eat on a daily basis; where I can be comfortable and have a life then.”
After speaking to Ayoung, Guardian Media contacted Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez, who said the City Corporation does not have the resources to assist and his office is restricted by law.
“We have the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services that is fully equipped with lots of people who are able and understand when things like this happen and are supposed to respond to it,” he said.
Guardian Media also reached out to Social Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox but there has been no response.
Anyone willing to assist Ayoung can contact 462-3446.