August 31st, 2018

Harvest 2018: Hope for Kenya’s Street Children

Wachira’s story

 

Wachira in 2016, whilst he was still living on the streets.

Wachira moved to the streets as a teenager. He left home as his parents always argued and did not return as his mother then passed away. For a while, he lived with his grandmother but when she also passed away, Wachira ended up on the streets in the Westlands Slum in Nairobi. Wachira joined a street family group of around 20 boys and young men, eventually becoming their leader.  The group live together in makeshift shelters on the street.

The group the Wachira joined are supported by International Needs Kenya’s Grace Empowerment programme. This programme is run by Local Leader, Pastor Joshua Kirani. Pastor Joshua visits this group twice a week to feed them, pray with them and offer support. He has already helped many members of this group through the process for getting ID cards. When Wachira expressed an interest in starting his own business, Pastor Joshua assisted him. With some start-up capital, Wachira was able to set up his own street food business selling popular Kenyan snacks.

In 2016, Wachira spoke to us about his new business;

“My Pastor, Mr Joshua Karani helped me overcome challenges of the street, to do this business that will help me in my life ahead. I appreciate so much that he has helped me and supported me.”

 

Wachira and his business partner.

For a while after setting up his business, Wachira continued to live on the streets. It was very difficult for him to move away from the life he was used to, and the safety of his street family. When his business was doing well, he expanded to sell a larger range of snacks including popular ‘Smokies’ (hot sausages). Not long after this, the income he was making from his business enabled him to rent accommodation for himself, and a storeroom for his stall. He also now has a business partner he works with who runs another street food business selling cold drinks, sweets and nuts.

Wachira has now been living independently and off the streets for over a year.

Can you support our Harvest Appeal this year to support more street children like Wachira get the support they need to come off the streets?

Donate to this year’s Harvest Appeal. 

How your support will help:

 

Providing basic resources

As part of the Grace Empowerment Programme, Pastor Joshua provides resources including regular hot meals and food supplies. He also supports groups with clothes as living on the streets often means they are vulnerable to the elements and suffer when the weather is cold.

A donation of £32 could provide 20 nutritious meals.

A donation of £233 could support 15 street boys through the process to get ID cards. 

A donation of £144 could cover the cost of a half-way house for 3 months, helping one young person start a life away from the streets.

Through this Harvest Appeal, we want to raise £8,000 for our street children programmes in Nairobi, Kenya. We need your support to continue to run these programmes supporting children and young people out of situations of violence and abuse.

 

To support Pastor Joshua’s work today you can:

1.     Join the International Needs Family and give monthly to this work 

2.     Make a donation 

3.     Fundraise for us. – To find out more about fundraising or to request resources please get in touch at inuk@ineeds.org.uk

Written by Katie 31/8/2018