Radhica De Silva
Tears flowed from a village grieving with guilt, having failed to protect two-year-old Kimani Francis, who wandered away from his home and drowned in a river a mile away.
And while tensions ran high during his funeral, Kimani’s family also could not hold back their tears as they said a final farewell to him at the Bechtel Pentecostal Tabernacle in Point Fortin on Friday.
Officiating Pastor Criston Nicholson called on the community to come together and to help men, whom he said have been neglected by society.
“Young men seem not to be interested in educating themselves,” he said.
He called on families and communities to take stock and do more to protect boys and men.
“Place some focus on men. There is an enemy after our young men. Some people are going to come and sidetrack them, to stop them from doing the right thing, listen community come together and let us help our young men, our boys, our children,” Nicholson said.
He expressed sadness at the attacks that men were facing in T&T.
“We understand and know it is a difficult time. It is not good to see a young boy leave us at such an age. Very difficult,” he said.
He added, “ If we can be honest as we look at society and our nations we will realise that men have been neglected. Young men seem to have been neglected from the old to the young. Most of the focus is on our daughters and our girls. And to focus on girls is not bad but we must also focus on our young men,” he said.
Nicholson said, “We must place focus on the young boys who are crying out. As we grow up in society, it is being taught that the men are naturally strong and the ladies are weak, so we place all focus on the girls and women and sometimes we neglect the males,” he added.
On May 9, baby Kimani wandered away from his family’s home at Tenth Street Extension in Techier Village in Point Fortin. He was seen by a neighbour who described him as being barefoot and wearing only a disposable diaper.
That neighbour came under public attack for not immediately going after the baby which led to her moving out of the community.
Kimani’s disappearance led to a massive search which included members of the protective services and civilians, including Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr, mayor Saleema Thomas, Hunters Search and Rescue led by Vallence Rambharat and councillor for Techier/Guapo Lyndon Harris.
On May 10, Kimani’s body was found in the Guapo River. A man with mental problems later walked into the Point Fortin Police station and confessed to killing Kimani.
On Monday, the family had a second autopsy done privately, the results of which are still pending.
