Profiles

Every boy has his own story, but to protect the privacy and dignity of the boys we will just show some example profiles and general reasons why children leave their home and go to the streets.

	*Harrison and his brother Paul* come from a family of 5 children, and among the families which were affected by the post election violence in Molo. The two boys are 11 and 12 years respectively. They came to Nairobi with their grandmother while the rest of the Children went with their mother who is currently living with his brother.
Harison Mungai		Joseph Kamau

The boys started going to the streets to search for scrap metals and plastics and selling them to buy food. At this point they were not going to school. The boys joined Kwetu on 2008, and since then the boys’ lives have changed through the process of rehabilitation, counseling, and all that goes on in the Home [K.H.P]. After a period of 6 months in class they were transferred to the Main Centre. Paul was enrolled in Madaraka School and Harrison to Langata primary.

Harrison is an active boy both in Drop In centre and in Kwetu and Paul is an organized boy. Kwetu through the parent’s empowerment program is working with the Grandmother on ways to improve the living standards at home which will enable her to take care of the two boys when they are reunited back home.

General reasons for children running to the streets

• Poverty, hence lack of basic needs at home – some children find it easier to get their basic needs on the street
• The death of parents and or guardians – once the children are orphaned they find it hard to provide the basic needs for themselves and their siblings
• Irresponsible parents and lack of proper parental guidance – parents, who are unable to provide the basic needs for their children, end up neglecting them. Other parents may show little concern for their children’s welfare
• Single parenthood – for a single parent it is hard to be able to provide the needs for the family and to create time for them at the same time
• Violence in the family – some children are unable to endure the violence at home
• Peer pressure, influencing environment – some children get the false idea through friends who are already on the street and/or the environment, that the life there is better than at home
• Drunkardness of the parents – some of the parents who are addicted to alcohol end up abusing their children and this may cause the family to break apart
• Desire for freedom to do whatever one wants – some children usually find it difficult to keep to the rules at home
• Tribal/clan violence – violence between communities may force children to flee from immediate danger
• Lack of commitment from the parents, local leaders & the government – it gives the children the idea that nobody supports and wants to care for them, and as a result they look for their own ways of living, hence go to the street
• Sickness (e.g. HIV/AIDS) or invalid parents – sick parents are in no position to provide the basic needs for their children, some of whom end up going to the streets to look for income in order to support their family.