Music star ‘adopts’ homeless boy

YVONNE Chaka Chaka, dubbed the ‘Princess of Africa’, had her audience ecstatic yesterday when she digressed from her prepared speech during the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to “adopt” a 17-year-old boy present, promising to send him back to school next year.

The boy, Elrico /Narib, was one of a few children who raised their hands when asked by Chaka “How many of you young people here drink alcohol?” Spotting his small figure amongst the crowd, Chaka called /Narib to the podium, where she learnt he had dropped out of school. “Why do you drink? Will you stop drinking today?” she asked him, before promising to send him back to school next year if he could prove to her that he would stop drinking.According to a neighbour of /Narib, spoken to after the event, the boy’s case will now be taken over by a social worker in the Ministry of Health and Social Services.They will act as a mediator between him and the singer./Narib is strictly speaking homeless, said his neighbour Maria Boois, with whom he lives at times.He apparently dropped out of school in 2005, whilst in fifth grade.”Why do you drink? Will you stop drinking today?” she asked him, before promising to send him back to school next year if he could prove to her that he would stop drinking.According to a neighbour of /Narib, spoken to after the event, the boy’s case will now be taken over by a social worker in the Ministry of Health and Social Services.They will act as a mediator between him and the singer./Narib is strictly speaking homeless, said his neighbour Maria Boois, with whom he lives at times.He apparently dropped out of school in 2005, whilst in fifth grade.