“Thank you so much for saving my life”.
These simple words coming from a 12-year old boy while tears were rolling down his cheeks was enough to make our social work team cry. They were not tears of sadness, everyone was feeling the emotion of a family reunited, a mother who had not seen her son for over 2 years and a young boy who society has almost given up on and was living on the streets alone for 26 months. The joy from both the mother and her son was very visible. This story, which was coming to a beautiful end, started 6 months ago.
In the beginning of may, Tom, on his way home from vacation, met a young boy sitting alone by the bus stop in the cold streets of Nairobi. It was 1am and the boy was terrified, crying non stop. Being a social worker, our programs coordinator talked to the boy and convinced him to come back to Kisumu with him.
The boy had been on the streets for 2 years alone. The children’s department through the director of the Remand Home recommended that the boy be admitted at Kisumu Children Remand Home. After 6 months of counseling and rehabilitation by the staff working in the Remand Home of Kisumu and the BetterMe Team, he was finally ready to go home. The mother was very happy to see her son back home after worrying for over 2 years. The boy is planning to go back to school in a few months when the new school year begins. His journey does not end there, he still has a long way to go before becoming a responsible adult. His ambition is to be a teacher and he puts a lot of effort into his education. Because he was away for a long time, his younger brother is now some grades above him. But instead of being embarrassed, he lets his brother back him up and teach him all the new topics he hasn’t learned yet. The boy is actively trying to reconnect with his family and wants to help other children living on the streets when he is grown up.
With your support, BetterMe continues to ensure that children from vulnerable backgrounds get a second chance in life. Thank you!
Better Me has a close relationship with the Kisumu Children’s Remand Home, conducts weekly YUMP sessions and supports efforts of rehabilitation and reintegration for children in contact with the law.
