I was sexually abused while living on the street

Dear Pastor,

I was born on March 13, 1991. I was abandoned by my biological parents and later became a ward of the State.

I was adopted by a family in Hanover and lived in foster care. During this time, I attended the Sandy Bay Primary and Junior High School. In the early 2000s, I was taken to an orphanage, where I was schooled and served as prefect. While there, my foster family delivered a letter to me on behalf of my eldest sister. I decided to respond, but my foster family did not return to the orphanage. So I kept writing everything I could, until I was sent to another orphanage where I served in a number of leadership positions.

In early 2006, at age 15, I compiled all my writings into one manuscript, which became my first book. This was how my writing career started. I wanted to find my biological family, but the searched yielded no success. Between 2006 and 2009, I attended the B.B. Coke High School in St Elizabeth. Between 2009 and 2013, I attended the Assemblies of God Bible College in Manchester. I felt the responsibility of finding my biological family was on my shoulders. I wanted to know them and to experience their love and affection, so I invested valuable time into finding them. I searched for more than a year and felt my quest was hopeless, but I never quit at anything, so I continued looking.

I found my biological family in 2011, just before entering my third year in college. I spent that summer with my dad. It was a bittersweet time for me because I was living my dream, but because of religious differences, my father turned against me. He is a Rasta and I am a Christian. I thought we could overlook our religious beliefs. I tried everything I could to get his attention. I did not give up on my family, they gave up on me. But that only ignited my efforts for a grand family reunion. In 2013, it happened.

My father and I started talking again. We spent our first Christmas together. I was happy, but it only lasted for a few weeks. In early 2014, my father enslaved, tortured and abused me. At the time, I had 30 completed books and scores of untitled manuscripts. My own father directed one of his girlfriends to destroy all of my writings. I was bleeding emotionally. My grandfather told my father to cut off my head. But I am thankful he didn't have the guts to do it. I was left on the streets to fight for success and survival, a fight that continues today.

While I was on the street, I faced rejection, unbearable hunger, discrimination, condemnation and stigmatisation. I was a victim of human trafficking. I was raped multiple times. At one point, I was ambushed by gunmen on my way to an abandoned house, where I was staying temporarily. Nonetheless, my hurdles did not stop me from believing in my potential to succeed.

In August 2018, I was accepted as a resident at the Open Arms Development Centre, an organisation that helps homeless people. The centre is not a permanent residence. I am expected to transit the programme, but I cannot afford the expense at this time. I can move on, but not without help.

Today I have more than 100 completed poems, over 100 completed songs and 194 completed books. I have over 36 small books prematurely released online, primarily for safekeeping and promotion.

My biggest dream is to officially publish my writings. I believe that they can pull me out of poverty and help me to help others. For this reason, I am seeking financial support to publish. The cost of the contract is US$16,999, plus tax. For information on how you can help me achieve my dream, you can reach out to me at any time that is convenient to you.

S.A.

Dear S.A,

I have deleted some of the information you sent. That is to protect you and the company for which I work. I hope you will understand. From your letter, I can see that you are a talented person. You have had a difficult time, and it is regrettable that you were sexually abused and mistreated in other ways.

I cannot verify some of the things you have written. I gather that you have found a publisher for your works. It is my prayer that you will receive financial help, so that your goals might be realised. I will be praying for you, and I wish you well.

Pastor