8:30 – I arrived to find 18 street boys lined up outside Challenge Farm gates. Last week our social workers went to the street and told the kids that if they wanted to come to school, they could show up on Tuesday. To get here they would have to walk over 6 miles or beg for money to ride public transportation. This would show the kids who really wanted to commit.
10:00 – Now we have about 28 boys outside the gates. The cut off age is 13 so any boys over 13 will not be taken. We are hoping to take 10 new girls but none have showed up.
10:30 – We brought all the kids in to sit down in chairs. Each child was invited to a desk where he gave his name to the social worker. A teacher then checked everyone for glue, finding only one bottle. Two of our kitchen staff passed out cups of chai tea. Before they were allowed to go play, they were asked to turn in any money they had. Kids are not allowed money because that would enable them to buy glue.
11:00 Samuel, who is 16 years old, has come over from Eldoret where he’s been attending school for three years. Run by a German volunteer, it was burned during the December election crises. Samuel came back to Kitale because his father lives here in the slum; Samuel goes to the streets during the day to beg for food. He was about to enter class 7 at the start of this school year and he seems brighter than some of our class 7 students. I’ve just spent 30 minutes talking to him and he understood me really well.
Nelson: If you read my 3 month update letter about Nelson, he did not arrive with these kids today. I have been told that another childrens’ home in the area took him off the street one week ago. I am happy that he is off the street and attending school, but I’m also sad that he won’t be joining us at Challenge Farm.
12:00 – After playing in the field, the kids were given some soap and opportunity to take a shower.
12:40 – All the new kids ate lunch and played afterward.
Final estimated total of kids who showed up wanting a place to stay came
close to 70. We took 24 boys and 1 girl.
No comments:
Post a Comment