If you want to walk fast, walk alone, if you want to walk far, walk together. 

There is power in one; something important we have come to learn along our work in Tumaini Kwa Watoto. We have gained the strength to transform the lives of many children in Kenya through the strong partnerships we’ve had over the years. Three weeks ago we received our great friends and partners from Truro Baptist Church-K2K who came with great blessings and refreshing. The house at Bethany had been at a stale for a long while, and needed to be given a face-lift.

The transformation is remarkable and we are ready to take in children from the streets of Nairobi who need to be reunited with their families. We had an amazing time with them as we always fellowshipped together in the morning, took them to the streets to relate with the children- and bring hope to the hopeless. We were amazed at their humility and dedication as they spent their days working hard on renovating the house that had started to dilapidate, scrubbing out the old paint and putting on fresh paint- as a sign of a new beginning!

We are always on the move to reuniting children with their families. The Nairobi county children’s section has been a vital part in our work for the last few years. We have related with many children that the city inspectorate rescue from the streets and have used our skills to reintegrating them with their families. Last week on Friday we organized a strategic meeting together with their staff that was held at Bethany house on how to improve children reintegration- which was a great success. Thanks to the TBC-K2K team that gave a new look to the house and thus made it a lovely place for such a meeting! It was great to have the staff from the children’s department who always have busy schedules spare the day to come and discuss this crucial matter concerning reintegration as well as learn from each other.

We have seen many lives transformed through the great partnerships we’ve had over the years, because we believe that together we do more. We at TKW have witnessed God’s great deeds and we are excited of what is in store in this new phase of renewed partnerships!!!

It was one early morning for James, wrapped in his sleeping bags on the streets and with a face filled with regrets- wondering why he left home. As we related with him initially, he explained to us the reason he left home for the streets was because he didn’t like school. Well, that was not convincing enough and we hoped to understand the real situation once we got to his family. A strong young boy, very brilliant and fluent was on the streets, wasting away the potential to do great things.
We traced his family and found his mother who gave us an astonished look as if she couldn’t believe what she saw. “My son, where have you been for all these months?” She exclaimed as she embraced her son. We were welcomed warmly inside her tiny house built of mud-but one that carried so many memories in it and started to narrate to us her ordeals in search of her son. James had gone to live with his elder brother in a different town who offered to support him to a vocational training center and took a mechanical course since he didn’t want to continue with formal schooling. James is a little older than his classmates and felt as if he didn’t fit being in school. He disappeared during this period and went to the streets.
Her mother’s grieve began at this time and couldn’t comprehend how her last born child could just disappear. She explained to us how they searched for James, tried to contact his former school, the local chief area but nothing seemed to work. Her son was missing! How could that have happened? Though James had previously developed truant behaviors, he had never been away from home for such a long duration. Day after day, she would plead to the Almighty to bring back her son or just give her a sign that he was alive somewhere in the midst of this world.
One day a fire broke out in one of the major second hand clothes market in Nairobi, and many children on the streets had gone to try and gather some fortunes from the remains. Fortunately, as some local TV stations aired the incident, a former teacher to James happened to spot him on the TV. What a coincidence it was! Since he had the news of his disappearance, he called the mother and informed her. This was an answered prayer to his mother. At this point, she believed anything was possible, and that is when she prayed that God would bring back her son by July.
Was that an ultimatum? The first day of July was an unforgettable day for her; as some strangers just appeared at her compound accompanied by her son. The joy in her heart was beyond measure as she narrated to us how she kept praying for her son and how happy she was to have him back home and safe. We had some serious talk with James since he had to choose what was right for his life. We made him understand the importance of making right decisions even in his teen age. He was remorseful at the end of our talk and promised to go back to the vocational training centre and continue with his course. We are grateful he chose what was right and good for his life!

It is our mandate to guide these little ones in the right path, we need each other to transform lives!

Having been brought up by his two loving parents and experienced the joy of being in a family, one would be left to wonder what caused the boy to run to the streets. When we met him on the streets, John was very eager to be reunited with his family as he explained to us that he had been looking for money to take him back home. “I am so excited to meet my parents today, and I hope to go back to school soon”. John Njoroge expressed.

He is a very determined boy and loves school; but what happened to him that he had to run to the streets? John discovered life on the streets when he went to stay with his sister in Nairobi. All was well until early this year when his sister told him that he would be contributing for his school’s expenses by doing casual jobs which would force him to be out of school many times. This never went well with John and he opted to go back to the country side and stay with his parents. The sister resisted and could not provide fare for john to travel back home thus he decided to go to the streets and find casual jobs to earn some money to take him back. His father was furious with the sister and since then they had been looking forward to find their son.

We took him back to his parents’ home since they’ve always wanted John to stay with them as he is their last born child. We are delighted at his progress; now back at school in class five. Our recent follow up on the boy was very encouraging as we found him at school in his sports uniform; with very vibrant face evidence that John was determined to be back to school. His teachers have been encouraging him in his studies and speak well of him and is also very active in athletics. He believes that his dream to become a teacher will one day come true because he wants to inspire many other children! 

We believe that his dreams and those of many other such boys will be fulfilled if we all work together to bring hope in their lives!

What happens when a child is left by those closest to his heart at a very young age? This happened to John Odhiambo, who was an only child at the time of his parents’ demise. Fortunately, his compassionate uncle took him in to stay at their home and has been committed to make his nephew live a happy life.

 ‘’I have been worried together with my entire family that at one particular time was scared that he is no more!” the uncle stated sadly when we took John back home. 

We met John at a rehabilitation centre where he had been rescued by the city inspectorate officers from the streets. The team related with him to find out how he ended up on the streets and John shared he had been on the streets for more than a year! This was astonishing because it seemed so far-flung.

After relating with him and giving adequate counselling on the downsides of the street life, he accepted to be taken back home to his uncle where we reintegrated him a few weeks ago.

It was heart-warming to meet John’s uncle who was elated to see his nephew back. He narrated to us that despite challenges at home, he tried his best to fend for his family. As we tried to find the reasons for the boy running to the streets, the uncle explained that John had adapted withdrawal behaviour where he could not blow the problem even as he tried to reach out to him. He had initially thought that he missed his parents; but continued to pray with his wife over him. The Family is committed to see John flourish and his school readmission process is on-going as we plan to make continuous follow up to the family.

We are thankful that through your partnership, we are able to rescue such boys who would have spent a lifetime on the hopeless streets. 

120 children are off the streets and back with their families in five months thanks to TKW team’s influence on the streets of Nairobi, week in week out!  That’s the power of influence.  Many more children have been challenged to look at their future from a different perspective.  Together we leave a lasting impact as we influence these children for good.

Influence on the streets, in schools, at home and work place, we often hear that we become like the people we hang out with.  TKW team meets with 9 year old Kevin who says, “I was influenced by my friends to go to the streets who later abandoned me.”  Kevin was alone and lonely in a strange and harsh environment on the streets, far away from home.  At the same time, his grandmother was influencing family and friends to help her find her grandson. Together influencing and impacting lives of children for good and making our streets a safer place

Thank God for the answered prayer and the power of one

’Look at the visitors, mummy come out and see Alex’s visitors.  They are carrying a big luggage’’ Alex’s younger siblings were running fast shouting aloud to their mum who was inside the house.

Kasifa, Alex Mutua’s mother came out limping, forgetting about the crutches to see what her young daughter was shouting about .She came to the door and saw TKW team carrying two mattresses coming towards her. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she uttered words of joy in the Kamba dialect: ‘’Thank you God for remembering your servant. Today I will sleep in comfort as a king. I will forget all my problems as I and my children sleep on new mattresses and not the rags we are used to’’, as she hugged the mattresses.

The power of one: We thank God for one of our partners, for responding to the cry of this family and meeting this basic need.  May our God bless you abundantly!

As the TKW team goes to the streets, they seek to influence the children to return back home where they belong.  They listen to the children share their stories, with the goal of influencing them to see that there is no place like home.  As Heddwyn works on the accounts every week, he is influencing what happens on the streets by making sure that we are good stewards of your investment into the work of Children of Hope.  As I edit and send out weekly news, I’m seeking to influence you to think about your own children and the less fortunate children on the streets.  Every penny counts when it comes to the life of one child, his family and community.  Your influence counts to bring transformation to Kenya, one community at a time.

April is a special month because it’s the month I was born, to influence and impact the lives of children, young people and families for good.  April 2014 was extraordinary for Tumaini Kwa Watoto (Children of Hope).  The TKW team influenced 31 children to leave the streets and return to their families.  Imagine the tears of joy and sadness as families received their children!  The negative influence of friends plays a huge part in the lives of the children on the streets. But positive influence of TKW team with limited resources counteracts the negative influence: 7 committed and passionate social workers (TKW team) are making a lasting impact on the streets of Nairobi and in communities of Kenya!

We thank our friends and partners who are very important and valuable players.  Your partnership is of great influence.  Your gifts, your prayers and your investment goes a long way to influence the decisions of children on the streets and when they return back home.  TKW team cannot go to the streets to influence children to return home without resources.

Together influencing and impacting lives for good. You and your influence matters to us.

Isaac & Sammy had been on the streets for about one and a half years when the Tumaini Kwa Watoto (TKW) team met them. They kept moving to different bases in the city which meant it took a few months before rescuing them. Over the last few years, we have built reliable support systems in Kitale so we put Isaac & Sammy on a bus going to Kitale town and connected them to a social worker to receive them and guide them to their village. We’ve been working with this social worker when rescuing children in Kitale. Isaac, the older brother said, ‘Teacher, when we reach home we will surely call you to inform you that we have reached home safely’ ‘Yeah, I know that our father and grandmother will be happy to see us again.’ added Sammy excitedly.

After their mother died, the environment at home became difficult for Isaac & Sammy to thrive.  Their father could not adequately provide for them.  The influence of friends led them to the streets of Kitale town in Trans-Nzoia County.  They later found their way to the streets of Nairobi where TKW team found them and rescued them.

Isaac & Sammy reached Kitale safely and were well received by a children’s officer who had been waiting for them. He reintegrated them with their family the following day. TKW team made a follow up visit to monitor Isaac and Sammy’s progress in March and were received well by their grandmother who reported that the two brothers were settling well.  The boys live with their single father; a widower who has been unwell with a chest infection. The situation at home is indeed dire, with the burden of provision falling to their grandmother. Despite these challenges, their resilience is shown and portrayed by how they are a close knit family as they share their activities.

We recommended that Isaac and Sammy rejoin school, but their grandmother felt strongly that the children should receive proper counselling and monitoring before they could be enrolled back to school after one and half years on the streets. She said that caution was needed to prevent the boys negatively influencing their peers in the community. TKW team was pleased to connect the family with a local social worker who would counsel the boys and monitor their progress.  We are grateful for support systems in the community.

During a recent visit, it was humbling and a great blessing to find the boys still at home and thriving well with their family! Isaac lives with his father, who is nursing and monitoring him closely. He requested to be enrolled for vocational training as he felt he was too old to go back school.  Sammy lives with his grandmother, where his aunt and uncle are instrumental in mentoring him. He reported to Tiwani Primary school for the second term. The boys faithfully attend Oasis of Love Church with their grandmother. TKW Team encouraged Isaac and Sammy to continue being active in their community. There is great hope for Isaac and Sammy as they are established in their community.

What a testimony of transformation! This is a great opportunity for partnering with us to see Isaac, Sammy and their family get back on their feet.  Can you imagine TKW rescued 31 children in April!  These children are no longer on the streets, but they are back with their families where they are slowly settling to normal life again.

Francis Sande said, “My mum and dad are separated, my father has remarried three times, my father’s latest wife doesn’t like me.   My mum is also remarried but she could not take me with her into her new home.”  Sande was left in no man’s land. Sande thought that the streets would offer him an alternative life out of his misery. On the streets, he appeared dizzy and sleepy…But his desire to learn was evident… ‘’I would like to go back home and resume learning but the hindrance is my stepmother!’’ As TKW team continued chatting with him, they realized that he was really serious and focused; going back to school was his priority. His aspirations matched TKW’S vision and mission – educate a child and empower him for life.

Sande looked dirty and had a stench which could scare anybody who dared come close to him. He also appeared dizzy and sleepy as a result of consistently using glue to numb his pain and sleeping in uncomfortable places on a cold floor at night. Even in this state, Sande clearly meant every word that came out of his mouth. We decided to give him the chance of going back home. We held his hand as he led us to his father’s home.

Sande’s father has married three different wives at different intervals and each one of them has left him. His current wife comes from a different tribe and came with two beautiful girls. When Sande’s mother parted ways with his father, she remarried but she could not take Sande with her. Her new husband’s tribe dictates that a child belongs to the father therefore in case of irreconcilable differences; the child has to be left with the father. The mother can keep in touch with her children, but she cannot live with them in her new marriage.

It is unsettling for the children and some of them like Sande end up on the streets. That’s where people like you and the TKW Team come to bring hope that their dreams can come to true. Children have to contend with these challenges which the family institution faces especially in a polygamous marriage.

 Light at the end of a dark tunnel – There was a happy reunion with Sande and his father. His father agreed to take full parental responsibility for his son, but they need our ongoing support to see Sande fully restored.

 This is your opportunity to join hands with us to bring hope to more children and restore families. Wouldn’t you want to be identified with a Team that is making significant changes in the lives of destitute children like Sande.  Every child in a secure, peaceful and restful place is our dream.

”I truly love Sammy because I nursed him ever since he was a small child” Said Samuel’s stepmother striking a conciliatory tone.

As we related with the boy, we learnt that his relationship with the stepmother back at home was not entirely good. Samuel Milembo, now fourteen years old, has never known his biological mother and felt that his step mother never appreciated him as the first-born even as much as he is obedient and bonds with his siblings well. This made him to find solace in the streets feeling that he could not confide in his dad whom he felt was preoccupied.

“I am so glad for your efforts of bringing my son back home…I have always offered guidance and encouraged him to share with me anything that troubles him” Said his father. What a joy it was as the parents promised to work out the relationship with their son and mold him to be a modest young man. There is now greater hope as Samuel has chosen the right path to stay at home with his family. We had a great time to reconcile and fellowship together with the family as we counseled Samuel to be obedient and heed his parents’ guidance.

Is there a better place for a child to be at than a family? Join us as we take more children back to their families…

“My son, the mortuary was the last place I thought of looking for you…but something kept convincing me not to consider that idea as it could hind bad luck” said a teary Teresa. Initially when we found David Kimutai on the streets at their famous base, he looked distressed; like one who had been entrapped as a hostage and needed immediate rescue. As we related with him, he quickly pegged blame on a friend who incited him that they could test the allure of the city under the sun and simply go back home. This was never to be; his friend disappeared into the bustle and hustle of the city life. He really missed home, having tasted the harsh life on the streets and rescuing him was the only solace from this mess he found himself in.

David’s mother shared the anguish she had to bear with all this time her son was absent from home. She is a single mother of five children; David being the second born. God makes things beautiful in His time…and with David having being reunited with his family was a great joy and relieve of a heave of burden she was carrying! We visited him early this month and his mother assured of taking him back to school once they reopen, thanking the team for bringing her lost son back home safely.

Finally my son returns home…..“The food in my mouth was like water, I could not sleep because of the many thoughts of my missing son,” Lillian-Douglas’ mother said. She failed to understand what was pushing her son to the streets and had gone to look for him on all possible places she could think of. Douglas Baraza left home for the streets due to peer influence after seating for his third term exams in class four. After the long journey of about six hours Douglas was worn out but soon, we were at their home amidst joy and jubilation as his mother dashed from the house to embrace her son. She narrated of her ordeal three years ago when her husband passed on and therefore did not wish to lose another loved one. She fervently prayed after her son left- the fourth born in a family of five other siblings, but could now rest after his safe return.

This time round the streets had hit him hard as he recounted of the times he had to go without food yet back home their mother worked hard to provide for them. He therefore prefers to proceed with his learning lest his younger brother overtakes him in school.

His mother works hard to make ends meet for the big family. The only profitable thing that Douglas can do is to study hard in school and hope for a brighter future. He dreams to become a manager, may this dream come to pass!

A mother’s heart never changes in the overflowing love for her son. Can we make more mothers happy….?