THE OTHER CHILDREN

In this novel, 12-year-old Hakeem narrates his experience in a juvenile welfare centre: ‘I remember a girl that was three years old. Her name was the only thing she knew. She was called Ngozi. When she was asked for her father’s name, she said, “Papa Ngozi”. It made all of us laugh. Another one said her father’s name was “Daddy” and one little boy said the name of his mother was “My love”. ‘We were all locked up in a small cell at the Welfare Centre. The oldest girl there was 16 years old.’