LOST AND FOUND girls ’ .

Stories of ‘LOST AND FOUND girls’.

What happens to the girls on the Streets?

Tumaini team has removed 224 children off the street since January 2017. We aim to rescue another 176 before end of this year making a total of 400 children…

It costs us Kshs 30,000/- (£220) to rescue one child from the streets as well make four family follow up visits. Our success rate is very encouraging – for every 100 children rescued from the streets, 96 will remain at home, join school or take vocational training and some who fall back will eventually return home.

Be part of the next rescue story…#TheNextRescue# Visit our donation page: www.kenyachildrenofhope.org

14 year old Ndisya Nduku says, “I was at home doing nothing because my family could not afford to pay my school fees. I had not planned to leave home but an urge to look for work and help myself pushed me. I ended up in Nairobi, lost on the streets and desperate. Tumaini team rescued me from the police who had arrested me on the streets and reintegrated my back with my family. They promised to find a way to keep me in school. Thank you Tumaini team for rescuing me and giving me hope”

Ruth Nasimiyu, 13 years old: An argument ensued between Ruth and her mother because of her step-father. Ruth was angry and she took Kshs 3000 (£22), joined a friend on a journey to Nairobi to look for her relatives. But this was not to materialize. Before even settling on the streets of Nairobi, a Good Samaritan forwarded her case to Tumaini team. She did not know where she was going to find her relatives. They rescued and reunited her with her family. The family had already reported to a police station near their home that Ruth was missing.

Sometimes it’s a case of Justice withheld!!

Sarah is the fourth born and a first born among the girls. She is a beautiful girl which made her vulnerable to fall into the hands of bad people.

She was sexually abused by an uncle who left for the dead. She was bleeding profusely when a neighbor found her in the bushes and rushed her to the hospital. She was treated and a court case was filed against her uncle. After the second hearing, her mother conspired with the uncle and he was released on bail. This was against the set law on rape case in Kenya and due to lack of proper legal support, Sarah’s justice was withheld.

Sara has both set of parents and 7 siblings but they lived in poverty. Her father worked as a casual laborer with a pineapple growing company away from home while their mother stayed at home with the children. They lived in a two-roomed house which is too small for the eight of them. Sara could not settle at home after her uncle was released on bail. Her father was helpless because his own brother who had raped his daughter was already conspiring with his wife. Sarah’s relationship with her mother was broken, and the uncle also kept threatening to kill her if she continues to appear in court as a witness.

A neighbor hosted Sarah for several months but asked Sarah to move out before school closed for August holiday. Since Sarah had nowhere else to go this neighbor sent her to Nairobi to look for her father. Sarah did not know about the big city. But a lady who was in the same bus with her offered her a place to sleep for the night as they looked for her father the following day. Tumaini team found a lost Sarah on the streets and they helped her find her father. He reported the case to a district children officer who promised to find a secure placement for her as they reopen the case.

Sara is currently in a children center where she is secure while her father and the District Children Officer are continuing with her case. Join us as we follow up this case until Sarah finds justice. Justice withheld is justice denied.

10 year-old Grace Wanjiru, had traveled from her upcountry home to visit her sister who lived in the city. She was excited about spending time with her sister in the city since this was her first visit. But her first weekend ended in a disaster. Her sister needed to meet up with her boyfriend as they were going to get married. They met at a nearby public park where she paid for Grace to enjoy a boat to the ride as her sister waited for her boyfriend. When Grace came back from her boat ride, her sister was gone and did not return. As darkness was quickly approaching, Grace was still there waiting for her sister to come back in vain. She broke down into tears as she had nowhere to go.

A policeman who was passing by approached her and asked her why she was out at night. Grace shared her predicaments and the officer took her into the children’s custody for a secure night. The police station contacted Tumaini team the following day who came and assessed her case. They found that Grace came from a dysfunctional family but her mother was contacted. She was very happy to receive her daughter back as she was not aware what had happened to her during the visit to her sister. Grace was reintegrated with her family where she is safe once again. We are monitoring Grace’s progress and we will keep you updated.

Veronicah: A desperate search for her mother led 13 year-old Veronica to the streets after stealing Kshs. 2200/-(£20) from a teacher. She had stolen 5000 (£38) but returned Kshs.2800 to the teacher after being punished and suspended from school.

Veronica lived with her grandmother who was required to pay back the remaining amount to the teacher. They did not know that she had hidden Kshs 2200/ (£ 20) to travel to Nairobi to look for her mother. She had not seen her mother for a year. Her adventure went horribly wrong. She got lost on the streets while looking for her mother. When Tumaini team rescued Veronica from the streets, her desire to find her mother was even stronger. With the help of the police, Tumaini team traced the family and found a mother was married elsewhere and moving on with her life. However, it was a great reunion for the mother and daughter. Veronica’s grandmother had already informed her that Veronica was out there looking for her. Another girl snatched from the perils on the streets!

Mary Nduku – Suffering from rejection and looking for acceptance

For 11 year Nduku, her mother gave birth to her when she was still in school and her grandmother brought her up to allow her mother to complete her education. However, the mother was not in a hurry to take up her parental responsibility for her child. It is 7 years since Nduku’s mother completed school, moved on, got married and now has three other children. She chose to forget her daughter.

Nduku did not know she had step siblings as she had been led to believe that her mother was dead. But one day a relative shared with Nduku that her mother was alive. This threw her off balance and wanted to know her mother. She wanted to meet her and get answers to many questions. However, the relatives were not ready to let her go, which led Nduku to sneaked out of the home at night with a few items for her long journey in search of her mother. Unfortunately, her journey ended on the streets where Tumaini team met her. Her home was home and relatives were found. They were already looking for her.

Her grandmother and family were happy to receive her and promised to continue taking care of her as they had done for 12 years. Tumaini team encouraged the relatives to find and connect Nduku with her mother to satisfy her desire for identity and for her mother to answer her many questions especially why she is not involved in her life. This will prevent Nduku from disappearing again.

Who am I? A question that the lost, the lonely and least of these children ask often. Tumaini team continue to monitor the progress of each one of the children rescued. Restoration and transformation of lives is what we are after. A family gives a child a point of reference and identity.