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HOPE: Restoration is a Journey…
Without support and encouragement they face danger that changes their lives for the worse. They want to be in school and in a family, growing like any other child.
TKW work to help these children off the streets, away from risk, to a family and into school. We do not believe in children centers but work toward changing the lives of as many children as possible- one at a time. We spend time meeting and befriending children on the streets; through trust we build again the missing link in most street children’s lives. We work to guard the children and prevent them from depending on the street in the first place.
Restoration is a progressive journey which for some children, takes long time to be achieved and for others the journey is shorter. Every child has a reason why they ended up on the streets. They share this during relating, rescue and reintegration.
TKW vision of holistically transforming children formally living on the streets into productive and responsible persons in society, Children join schools and young people who cannot join formal education are enrolled into informal vocational education to attain skills and empowered to live a productive independent life.
Usually children in touch with street-life once re-integrated tend to look ahead with optimism. Once rescued, a child goes through a process of Rehabilitation and Restoration.
And in the recent weeks we sought to look back into children in their restoration journey and highlight just a few…
For Gaite, it has been a journey of 8 years since his rescue. Life was quite twisted as he has had to go through obstacles, hardships and limitations to life earlier in his childhood. BUT today, he is a settled young man in High school (Form 2).
“I used to live on the streets, but Tumaini Team helped me out, back home, relocated us and now I am in school.”
Antony was on the streets as a result of a hard life involving lack of food and basic necessities at home to the extent of going without meals several days. He joined the streets to fend for himself. He could do all sorts of activities ranging from picking scrap, to selling of tomatoes for people to ensure that he gets what to eat. “Life on the streets was really harsh”
In 2017, TKW met with him and was rescued. His reintegration was rocky at first but the process was unstoppable. It is tough for a child to live on the streets because they have nobody to take care of them. All children should live in a safe place and go to school. Antony wanted to continue studying to help other children off the streets in future.
“I am lucky because I am now home where I eat well and go to school. I know many other children are not lucky and are still on the streets, suffering…”
Alex was abandoned by his mother after birth and his aunts took him in but none of them could live with him permanently. As a result Alex lived with different relatives at any given time. He felt rejected. In 2016, his mother came back and took Alex to live with her. Life with his mother was a misery. He was physically abused and bore marks from a knife cut inflicted by his mother. It was at this point that he joined the streets.
When TKW met Alex in 2017, he suggested that he could go to his Grandmother. And that’s where Alex restoration journey begun. Though it hasn’t been easy for him to catch up with his education as he was older for his class the teachers were supportive.
Three years down and Alex is in class 5 and leading performance in his class. He has needs like school fees arrears and a weak grandmother but always wears a smile on his face. To his grandmother: He is a complete joy for her and keeps saying what a blessing Alex has been since his rescue.
Cynthia “I had left home because of facing rejection from my step-father,”… TKW met her on the streets November 2017 when she resolved to go back home and quit street life. This had gone to the extent of being sent away from home after her step-siblings were born given that she wasn’t a blood child of this father. Her mother was unable to prevent this since her step husband was ruthless and the sole-bread winner. Cynthia ended up on the streets.
After her reintegration, Cynthia protection and acceptance was assured but the relationship with step father was never smooth. TKW team stepped in and facilitated their reconciliation, but Cynthia mother later felt the marriage was too painful for her daughter to settle in and hence had to give up and she separated with her husband. They had endured humiliation, conflicts and domestic violence. Through all this Cynthia remained optimistic and TKW supportive. Today she is progressing well in her education. She completed her primary education in 2018 and this year joined High school in Form one.
Naomi, the Doctor, an orphan, had taken the risk of traveling alone all the way from Mombasa (over 600 kilometers) to Nairobi to look for casual jobs. She had endured mistreatment on aunt’s hands after the mother’s burial; made to work and not going to school. Any effort to want to go to school was accompanied by yelling and this psychologically tortured her. She wanted to progress in her life, be in school like other children and live in peace but it almost felt like that peace went to the grave with her only parent.
Naomi ended up on the street and was later taken to a police children desk by a Good Samaritan where TKW team met with her in 2017. She could not talk calmly but every word was expressed in tears of pain she had gone through.
Another aunt- sister to the mother was traced and was overjoyed to receive her niece. Naomi got a new home, new family and life begun all over for her. In peace and love, Naomi is thriving. She was enrolled back to school in class three and after the first exam she got good marks that teachers promoted her to next class midyear! Naomi is currently in class six and according to her teachers and guardian she is doing well. She is always the best in her class and aspires to be a doctor!!!
