BlogStory of the Week
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.
