“COLD, wet and hungry” was how leader of the All People’s Party, Kezel Jackson, described the condition of two runaway boys who turned up at her Port of Spain office yesterday.

The two—Aiden Chance, 13, and Zion Matthews, 14—were among three boys who ran away from the Rainbow Rescue Home in Maraval on August 3. The whereabouts of a third boy, Navindra Mahabir, 15, remain unknown.

At Jackson’s office yesterday, the two boys appeared to be in good health but one kept scratching his skin. He was quite talkative and indicated that he wanted to be a boss when he grows up. The other was quiet, but said he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.

Speaking to the Express yesterday from her office at the corner of Park and Abercromby streets, Port of Spain, Jackson said: “I got a call this morning from one of my workers indicating that two young men, ages 13 and 14, are looking for me. I was told that they are in front of the building and I told them I am on my way. I enquired who they were and I was told it was two young boys ran away from Rainbow Home in Maraval,” said Jackson.

She said that when she saw them she first got them a meal and then a change of clothing as they were wet from yesterday’s heavy rain.

Jackson claimed she then tried reaching the Children’s Authority but all her calls went unanswered. She also said that she had a 14-minute Facebook live session talking about the two boys and even after giving out her contact details she still had not yet been reached by anyone in authority.

“TV6 is here. Express is here and that is what is going on,” she said. She claimed that, two hours after she began reaching out to the Children’s Authority and even the Police’s Child Protection Unit (CPU), there was no response up to 5 p.m.