Amerigo, A Street Child story

Amerigo, A Street Child

The story is about Amerigo who is a 13 years old street child. He lives alone since none of his parents who are separated want to take him. The story is about the condition of the street children who are deprived of all human rights. Through the story of Amerigo, the plight of the street children is depicted. Here the dreadful way of their living is narrated through a vivid description of Amerigo’s tormented life. Since his parents do not want to take him, the street are his home now. Though he is still a child, he has to look for work because he has nobody to look after him. At first, he collected trash and sold them to a vendor. But as he got infected and the doctor forbade him to handle the trash, he stopped doing it. Then he took job of selling ice-cream on the beach. But the job was difficult and painful, and the owner did not pay him any money. The owner only gave him something to eat and a little place to sleep in. So, he left this job too. Though he leads a miserable life, he feels lucky to be alive. His friends who also live on the streets suffer from diseases due to sorting rubbish. They work 10-12 hours a day, yet they don’t get enough money to buy food. Some work in factories and workshops where they face risks constantly. When an accident takes place, the owners don’t even bother to help them. These children hardly get anything to eat, and live in uncertainty. When it is cold, they have no place to take shelter. They can die of cold or hunger any time. Through this story, it is observed that the street children are denied every fundamental right.