Social media users in Sierra Leone, particularly on Facebook, expressed their shock upon encountering a poignant photo of a young boy embracing a mentally unwell woman. The image sparked widespread attention and discussions among online communities.

The photo in question was shot on Good Friday, 2025 during a fundraising ceremony organised by a children’s charity group, the Sick Pikin Project. Members of the group, including Founder, Ishmeal Alfred Charles were on the streets of Central Freetown to raise funds to pay medical bills for sick and less-privileged Sierra Leonean children needing complex surgeries that could only be done abroad.

During the ceremony, Charles brought his young son, Malaika who loves to dance while asking for funds. As Malaika was dancing, a mentally challenged middle-aged woman stopped and started dancing with him.

After dancing for a while, the young boy asked his father, Charles to give the woman some money to buy water to drink. The father gave Malaika Le 6 which he gave to the woman. Amazingly, the woman only took Le 2 and donated the Le 4 to the charity. As she did, Malaika without any second thought, hugged the mentally challenged woman who in turn returned the same.

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This brief moment reflects a profound aspect of humanity as captured by Charles through his lens. The photograph conveys a powerful message about how some of the most marginalised individuals in society can offer insights into the true essence of humanity. The innocence displayed by both Malaika and the mentally challenged woman appears almost surreal, highlighting the depth of human experience and connection that can arise in unexpected circumstances.

The photo speaks to us, to search our souls and ask what is holding us back from embracing each other. Devoid of race, ethnicity and religion, the most important thing that binds us all is humanity. If we fail to realise this, we have failed our generation and the human race as a whole.

Perhaps Malaika is like his father, a humanitarian with a mission to help the less-privileged children of Sierra Leone.

The father, Charles’ sombre past, a child soldier during Sierra Leone’s civil war, stands as a testament to someone who has witnessed abuse first-hand and how that has shaped his worldview that we are all one. His charity, the Sick Pikin Project has helped less-privileged children receive life-saving medical treatment since 2018. From Baby Mustapha to Baby Marian and Baby Mariama, Charles and the Sick Pikin Project are just getting started and they need everyone’s support because no man is an island and we need each other. This mantra cannot be truer than now. So, introspect and tell us how you feel.