Erick lokampi is a Turkana boy born 13 years ago at a small village in the plains  of  a locality called Lenget , Kampi ya moto.

He is a short, dark coloured chocolate boy who is so much outgoing .He is a friendly, warm hearted young man with a potential to achieve much in life at his age.

The boy would want to go back to school so that he can achieve his dream of becoming a teacher. He left school two years ago at class two to fend for himself .They are six children in their family under the care of the grandmother. Both parents have passed on and in this case, one would not want to imagine what goes on in  the mind of the grandmother when she finds that she cannot meet the needs of her grandchildren. This condition must have made Erick feel like a man who is meant to be a provider ,he has to move out and look for survival ways which could also help him chip in the family kitty and lessen the grandmother’s burden. Just like any other man, he must have heard stories about life in the cities which is painted as glamorous with a lot of opportunities to accommodate everybody. I am imagining how Erick was dying with anticipation to grab those opportunities. I am seeing him trying tooth and nail to look for information which could free him from the sting of poverty. To his amazement, he realizes finances are required to facilitate him from point A to B but he is too young to get an employment which could enable him to earn enough to embark on his journey. He results to use unorthodoxical means to achieve his aspiration. This opens a door for him to look for items which has been left unattended so that he can sell and get money. He finds himself becoming a petty offender not out of choice but circumstances beyond him push him into it.

The circumstances back home are pathetic. The grandmother sleeps on the floor of her house ,on makeshift bed taking the comfort of an improvised mattress which has been made of sacks .Her presumed mud walled room accommodates even chickens some of which are hatching eggs. The presence of other siblings and scramble for food  might have made him feel out of place because they appear to be a tribe. This and other unforeseen issues must have made Erick feel ,there must be another better life than what is being encountered. Through thick and thin ,he decides to embark on a journey to the unknown hoping to strike it rich. Once away from home,  he finds himself immersed in challenges bigger than his mind can handle at that age .He discovers that the only way to survive is to look for food in the garbage pits and sleep on the hard floor of the veranda of buildings inside a sack to keep warm. This he discovers that it is much more than he had bargained for. The urge for comfort under the roof, warmth in a house,  encouragement and sense of be valued in a home setting rang  a bell in his mind. The idea of children playing in a learning  environment at school triggers his wanting to join the pack and be counted among the number.

It dawns on him, East or West home is the best. He also discovers that unrestricted freedom can be very dangerous. He also notes that better the discipline at home with love than what the world gives without mercy He yarns for home and like the prodigal son goes back home down hearted wondering whether he will be accepted back. Once he sets his foot back home,he is received with open hands and lot of jubilation He settles back home with a lot to share with his peers. Rebellion has taught him afew lessons in life he will live to tell .He immediately embarks on his dream which is resumed by joining school.

Care givers include parents and grandparents who take time out to attend our equipping parents’ seminar.  Several issues are addressed including how we are exploring ways of generating income at Bethany Halfway House.  We encourage the caregivers to apply what they’ve seen by using their small pieces of land and work toward food security. Lack of adequate food at home is one of the reasons that push children to the streets.  Every skill they get will make them better parents to give their children a secure future.

 

Augustine (one of our young men) took his position to share his story with the parents during our Equipping Parents Seminar in November 2012.   He appreciated TKW TEAM for the advice he was given over the years that still helps him when things are difficult and urged the parents to give careful attention to the training.  He also said, ‘Dear parents please take care of your children because at times it’s the mistake of the parent that drives a child to the streets’. Who would have known 12 years ago that Augustine would become a voice to the voiceless!  Grace said, ‘Let’s build our children, to build our nation.  As I stood with Augustine, I remembered the 12- hour journey to Western Kenya that we made in November 2000 as we reintegrated Augustine with his family.  Today he stood with me as a testimony of the work of restoration’.

’As parents, we are our children’s role models and they reflect our lifestyle positively or negatively’’. This was said during the session on ‘the value of a child’. The parents were urged to give their children values that will help them make choices and decisions.  More is ‘caught than taught’.

Journey of life was an encouragement as parents received hope for their children and families .The story of how Ruth’s life turned around after she lost her husband and left her people to support Naomi, her mother-in-law was moving. How things changed for Ruth, she got married and had children.  The message was clear, ‘it doesn’t matter what you have gone through in life there is hope’. We are giving these families a voice too.

These grandmothers never give up….

It was great to welcome Elizabeth and Joyce, two grandmothers from Molo. They are looking after their grandchildren: Gabriel Kihiyu and Joseph Karanja. They came for training because they want to know, ‘How can we help our grandchildren succeed in life?’ It has not been easy to carry the responsibility of being a guardian.”At some point early in the morning I had to look for Gabriel on the streets,” says Elizabeth while Joyce shared how challenging it has been to take care of Joseph who needs regular medication. Equipping Parents Program has really encouraged them not to give up on their grandsons who have a great future. They carry the big responsibility for these children’s future – how they reflect strong values to live by. Now both Gabriel and Joseph are settling well at home, reports Wambui.

A new start: hope, pray and go

[one_third] [/one_third] [two_third last=last] Years of wasted life – heavy and dirty jacket, hard life, hopelessness, describes Paul’s life on the streets. He looked like an old man and dejected when we first met him on the streets.  We soon discovered that he had been on streets for two and half years, and his appearance reflected it.

Paul’s story is no different from many other children we’ve meet on the streets:  parents separated, a broken family and a grandmother picks up the pieces.  As much as Paul loved his hard working paternal grandmother who opened her home without parental authority and guidance, he ran away from school to the streets in search for a better life.

As we met with Paul regularly, slowly but sure, his self-esteem began to grow.  We began to see signs of hope, of change and transformation.  Paul now looked his age, 14 years old.  One day Paul expressed a desire to go back home and plead with his grandmother to receive him back.  Paul said he was ready to face his grandmother and apologize for past mistakes. The team assured him that they would plead his case with his grandmother about his past mistakes.[/two_third] Parents’ separation often causes much damage to many children like Paul, driving them to the streets where their lives and dreams are wasted.  Paul has a dream of becoming a teacher, which cannot be realized on the streets.   We are glad that Tumaini Kwa Watoto team is on the streets and in a position to reach such children like Paul.

Paul’s turning point came when we rescued him from the streets on 14^th November 2012 and thus begun a journey of restoration.  We rescued him from the streets and reunited with his grandmother.  When Paul’s mother heard that he had come back, she sent a message requesting Paul to visit her.  Paul went to visit his mother during the school holidays, a few miles from his grandmother’s home.  The visit went well and Paul decided to stay with his mother and go back to school.

When we visited Paul after seven weeks, we could hardly believe the change that has taken place. Paul’s hopelessness had gone and he has begun to blossom. Paul has gone back to school and the evidence of restoration can be seen all over his life.  He is finally home where he belongs with his mother.

 

February 1 2013.

 

 

‘Home before Christmas ’ – 11 boys rescued in November 2012

Patrick Mutuma is a 16 years old young adult and hails from Chuka, in Meru which is in Eastern part of Kenya. He has lived in the streets for about 3 years, and as he puts it himself, it wasn’t easy. When we met him he was ready to go home and nothing could deter him from his decision.

Patrick’s desire is to help his mother with farming as he a waits to do vocational training to help him acquire some basic life skills.

When we go home, we met Patrick’s mother who narrated to us how Patrick had stressed the family with his truant behavior. However, she kept praying for him to reform wherever he was or at least come back home a changed person. His parents divorced when he was still young so he grew up with his mother. We had a reconciliation meeting with the family in the presence of community members and Patrick was received back with gladness.

 

 

‘If only I get another chance’, said 12 year old Dennis

Life has been tough for Dennis since he was born because his mother abandoned him at the tender age of one. His maternal grandparents brought him up, but when life became too hard, he ran away to the streets.  On 20^th November 2012, we rescued Dennis JK rehab centre and travelled with him to Kinangop an hour’s journey from Nairobi with his grandparents.

On the same day, Dennis’ mother had abandoned his other 3 siblings in another village and his grandmother had planned to go and rescue them. We also learned that Dennis had been to several children’s homes without settling.  His grandparents were not too pleased to see Dennis.

As always we pleaded with his grandmother to give Dennis another chance which she eventually did.  We pray that this boy will find rest, be established and give these elderly grandparents strength to give Dennis and his siblings a secure home.

Simeon 13 years old, the lost brother has been found

As we approached the house we could see that the door was locked. Disappointment was written all over Simeon’s face as he realized that the warm welcome he had hoped from his sister was not going to be. After inquiring from a neighbor, we found out that Simeon’s sister had started a small business in a nearby town. So we sent a neighbour’s son to call her.

She came running and started to weep the moment she saw her brother. We spent some time talking with her over some issues.  She readily agree to give her lost brother Simeon a home and promised to talk to her husband to take him back to school next year.

Peter Swahili 16 years old took time to remember the direction to his home. 5 years ago he left home and couldn’t recognise the buildings and infrastructure that has come up since he left home.  Five years is a long on the streets.

Peter used to live with his grandmother, Hannah who is a pastoralist.  He left home when he was a very small boy thus, his grandmother could not recognize him. Who is this man? Asked Peter’s grandmother. It took a little introduction for her to recognize her own grandson.  Peter and his grandmother looked at each other.

The family, like any other typical pastoralist family, has very little or no value for education.  So we talked with Hannah about the importance of education for her grandson and she agreed to take Peter for vocational training. All in all Peter was happy to be back home again before Christmas.

Ian Kemboi, 14 years – desiregranted. We often pray that God would prepare a safe dwelling place for every child we plan to reintegrate with his family. Over the years, Ian’s father lived an irresponsible life of drinking and gave his children harsh punishment causing Ian to regularly run to the streets which made it very difficult for him to settle.

When we took him back to his home in Kitale, we found a transformed father who had committed his life to Christ and now attends church with his family. With hope in his heart, he received his son and is willing to gradually work out their father-son relationship. Ian on the other hand asked for forgiveness for leaving home without warning and causing his family much pain.  We thank God for Ian’s parents who love him in spite of what has done.  They are ready to support him and help him settle at home.

“Taking me home would be the best Christmas gift”, said 14 years old Anthony Mabonga

Ululation filled the air at Moi’s Bridge when Anthony entered their homestead and began calling his grandmother in his native luhya language.”Kukhu Kukhu!” His grandmother’s voice was heard in one of the huts. We followed as Anthony led us, in seconds they were locked in tight hugs and there was more ululation. Anthony was under the care of his parents who lived near Kenya-Tanzania border. He had been asked to do some house chores but went to play and forgot.  He was afraid of being punished and ran to the streets where we met him a few months ago.

Anthony’s family was very happy to receive him.  He will enjoy Christmas with his family as he had desired while preparing to join class 5 in 2013.

Looking for a place to belong is 13 years old Dennis Kiarie driven to the streets by his parents’ separation, ‘Finally I am home’ said 14 year old Joseph, whose only hope is his uncle’s family as well as Wycliffe Nyange, Titus Mosota, Henry Nyambuto, boys who come from Kisi in western Kenya to just get a glimpse of the city’s tall buildings.   All reconnected with their families.

Having rescued these boys, the real task of restoring them and their families has just begun.  We however, rejoice that their desire to be ‘home for Christmas’ has been granted.  Rejoice with that eleven (11) children have been rescued and reintegrated with their families – the place where they belong!

Tumaini Mass rescue