Another day of service

 Friday base visits have always been interesting and unpredictable. This particular Friday,  the team split into two as usual and proceeded to different bases. We begun our journey to a base located in Nairobi’s city center, Globe base.

With the recent changes in the government and plans to make Nairobi clean and safe, the Local County Council of Nairobi are on a mission to wipe out the street guys from the city's streets. So they keep moving to different spots to try to escape from the men in uniform. We finally locate them and the spot they are at is very pretty. It is by a very busy road, the grass in the area is green (especially since it is raining now). Nairobi river is flowing on the other end and they are seated under a tree. In contrast the people we find there are very high on aerosols, the clothes they are wearing are tattered and very dirty, most of the boys have all the clothes they own on and the smell there is not pleasant. They have their “best friends” bottles of glue and small pieces of material that are wet with jet fuel held close to their nose. Some see us and hide their bottles in their pockets while others are too high and don’t care.  There are also four women, two are asleep and don’t bother to even raise their heads from the ground when we arrive.  The other two are seated comfortably on the ground and we greet them as we make our way to where the boys are seated.

As Usual the boys are happy to see us. Their ages vary; there are older men here, teenagers and very young boys. I counted a total of twenty five. Anyway, we introduce ourselves and shared the word of God with them. As the team takes turns in giving them words of encouragement, my eyes look around at what is going on. There are three young boys, about 13 years old, on the east side playing cards and they have coins on the ground for whoever wins that round. I move to where they are and try to convince them to join the rest of the crowd but they are not interested so they move further away. Then I notice some boys crossing the road and go to the women seated on the ground, they give the women empty bottles and the women fill the bottles with glue. The business is done so fast that I didn't see the exchange of money but I am sure it can’t be for free.

The sharing goes on and I see this little boy, sitting alone. He is so precious and looks so innocent and helpless in his dirty clothes and a glue bottle in his tiny hands. I had seen immediately when we got here and had a short conversation with him before we started sharing with everyone else. He said his name was Waithaka (from kikuyu tribe). He is eleven years old and his mom lives in Thika, a town close to Nairobi. I asked him what he was sniffing, and he said it was glue. At this age I am sure he doesn't know the effects of that glue and other drugs that he will be introduced to with time. His face looks a bit clean and this makes me think that he is still fairly new in the base. All he is looking for is a place where his needs are going to be met and he will feel like he belongs. Little does he know that this place does not provide what he need but will give other longings that are far much difficult to overcome such as addictions and anti- social behaviors. 

We did our part and its time for us to head back to Eastleigh center. We said a prayer and give the boys buns we brought for them. As we depart my mind is still struggling with the fact that Waithaka, is left behind with those women who sell drugs to them and the older boys who will use him. And the cold and rainy nights that he is going to have to endure. I quietly wish that he will begin to come to Eastleigh programs for young boys so that he may be able to join our boarding program some day. Or something will change and he will have a place to call home soon. 

Rep. by Irene

Two streets mothers making it work...

Helen is a mother of two kids a boy and a girl. Three years ago she as was at Mlango kubwa base. While in the streets Helen used to supply bhang -marijuan in Mlango kubwa base and Pangani area in collaboration with her husband. In late 2012 she joined Made in Streets mothers' program where she was willing to take an extra hour of bead work class. With being consistence in attending these classes, we learnt to know her better.

With a tough situation in her hands, she came out freely to share with us about her lifestyle. we  had lengthy talks informing her that the only solutions to her challenges is to change, positively. With her being willing to undergo the transformation process we took her through counselling which she included  her husband.

In June 2013 we took her to Imani training center to take a skill in knitting. Which she responded positively and even she became the best in her class. Her course took a period of six month which she has finished now. Currently she has a house at Mlango kubwa  area where she stays with her husband and the two kids. The husband is a night guard at  industrial factory. Now Helen is a transformed and a changed mother. She is able to send two of her children to school from the money she gets from knitting and bead making which she does privately.   

Salome is a mother of four children, two girls and two boys. She was at Lilliput base for five years where she used to smoke bhang, drink illegal liquor (changaa) and begging money from the passers by. In this situation the money she used to beg she managed to pay school fees for her daughter who is the first born and is in high school. Now she is in her final year (2014).Salome joined Made in the Streets mothers'' program in 2012, 

Every Monday we had several talks regarding what she hoped to engage in so as to be self-reliant. She thought of being a vegetable vendor, with our support, with capital  and some business advice she begun in a humble setting, now she runs a food kiosk in Eastleigh which is booming.

With this kind of achievements she is doing well with the family, being a single mother she has been very supportive like paying her daughter’s high school fees and providing other family basic needs. By the end of 2013 she moved from Mathare valley now she is staying in Eastleigh area. In November 2013 she was baptized in Eastleigh Church of Christ.

Story by Jane Abuti

Progress on Nursery graduants!

 Collins Odhiambo: turned five years last year on August he is in pre-unit at Unity Academy in Kayole and living with his mother (Lucy Akinyi).

•  Eric Mwenda: turned four in April- 5-2013, exited in August and went at Baraka Academy  He was position one out of 30. He is living with his mum (Cecilia Mwenza). He is in nursery.
•    Victor Ngatia: turned seven on January 5-2014.  He went to the United States in June for medical reasons, currently going at Grand Mark academy and in class two.
•   Khel Omondi: 5 years old going to Grand Mark academy, he likes the school and doing great.
•  Liam mutual: He is in class one doing very good especially in communicating in English, he is 6 years old went to DrumVale Primary School.
•   Kelsey Zawadi: almost turning four on 12^th march 2014 went at Jasper Academy at nursery and doing very well.
•  Steve Mathu: went to Learning Center and joined the Intermediate class, he turned twelve last year.
•   Mark Ngunjirii: went to Destiny Academy, turned three years on July 2013 she is at nursery and doing well.

 Those still with us are:
Trinity Gatabi she is 2 years, Silvia Ndungwa 3 years, in baby class, Dennis Omwega one and half years, Raphael Abduazak one and half years, Larry Mutolu five years old in pre-unit.
We also have anew born baby Taylor Muthoni 3 months old.

Good Start

It’s a new term. Students have moved up a class and others have left literacy and joined skills training. As a teacher it is always time to adjust because a new student in class sometimes changes the dynamic of how things used to work. Salim, middle class student, is quite the scholar. He likes to read books with fact, simply educational. For Him for example we have to find something that will make him interested in class. He will not read a book just for the fun of it. We therefore have to think about him as we plan for class and prepare the lesson in such a way that he will be alert the whole time and be involved and interested in what the rest of the class is doing. 

Onesmus Odero loves to draw. Right as we study the book of revelation his drawings of the images of the prophesies are the best. we try to find a way to help nurture this talent yet still learn what has been planned for class.

Onesmus Odero holding his drawing.

Rep from Irene Otalo

I recently got a new cap, the school librarian, and this to me meant that I have to bring the library to life. The final quarter of last year I was working on convincing the students that reading story books and checking books out to read during their free time can not only improve their performance an English, both written and spoken, as well as other subjects but also increase their general knowledge. To motivate them to read, the students who showed exceptional   in reading were awarded during the December, 2013 price giving ceremony. This month I have been filled with smiles when I see students and Team come to check books out. This month alone I have checked out more than 80 books and the library is coming to life, I am happy about that. In December we received a lot of books from Amanda stoops and this year Sue Dansby has sent sets of National Geographic magazines that we will use for research and we can have whole class projects.