The Story of the Boy and that one Photo

I would like to share the story of a little boy and for the sake of his privacy, I'll refer to him as Alex. This took place in one of the States in my home country, Nigeria. 

So before Alex comes into the "Picture"; there was a wedding photo-shoot of a newly wedded couple taking place on the street and Alex happened to have photo-bombed one of their pictures. The couple went on their way but the photographer decided to share that particular picture with the little boy on Social Media. The picture went viral in no time and people were intrigued to know who the cute little boy was. It became a frenzy when hashtags on Social Media were made all in the search of this boy, a scholarship was offered and other gift items too. Alex was eventually found and that was when His Story was told.

Alex was a product of a failed relationship and was abandoned by his mother when he was barely 1 month old. His father had to seek the help of a lady from a nearby day-care centre to help care for him and that has been the case. Alex is 3 years old now and he has never been to school. He speaks his local dialect and he expresses himself to an extent in English language considering his age. His father, though a graduate of Electrical Engineering, is unemployed and their living condition is not the best.

I felt sad and happy when I read about him. Sad because I wondered just how difficult life had been for him at such a young age, the uncertainties he faced in his future and even possibly the mockery from his peers who knew of his birth situation. I felt happy that Alex was curious and bold enough to have photo-bombed the photo-shoot and has possibly changed the course of his life. I also felt happy that good meaning people went out of their way to put a smile on the little one's face and helped give him a boost in life. Right now, I am hopeful that when Alex grows up, he would be able to share His Story and be an inspiration to others. 

Alex's story re-iterates the importance of building confidence in a child, teaching them how to be fearless but respectful at the same time because it would help them navigate through life much easier as adults. 

On a brighter note, a recent update is that Alex has started going to school and he loves every minute of it.