Zout der Aarde Children’s Home closed by DC

The Zout der Aarde Children’s Home on Thursday was closed by Paramaribo SouthWest District Commissioner Eric Grauwde. The decision to close the children’s home was made after footage about the children’s poor living conditions was posted on social media. The movie shows a boy peeing in a bottle. The children reportedly lived under very bad circumstances.

Conrad Acton, head of the Community Contact Unit at the DC’s Office, pointed out that the DC’s Office asked the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing (Sozavo) for assistance in the latter so that the children can be accommodated elsewhere. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture was also notified. It is not clear how many children were staying at the children’s home. Reports indicate that the children are between the ages 7 to 18.

DC Grauwde reportedly launched an investigation after the footage was posted online. The inspectors from the DC’s Office, the Public Health Bureau (BOG), the police, the neighborhood manager from the Uitvlugt Police Department, administrators from Tammenga and representatives of Sozavo were shocked to see the bad living conditions. A representative from Sozavo made it clear that the children’s home receives state subsidy and that an investigation will be launched to find out what happened to the money.

She called the situation barbaric. “You would not even let your pet sleep in those rooms,” said the representative who added that the children had to sleep on little pieces of a mattresses.