Educate and Empower Street Children in Kenya

Education is a ladder that can lift a child out of poverty. For Steve B, however, enrollment in primary school moved his family in the opposite direction. The financial strain of paying for school—which includes tuition, uniform costs, and activity fees— proved too great for Steve’s single mother, and soon, hunger became an everyday reality for Steve and his family. Steve was dismissed from his primary school in order to retrieve the overdue balance of his school fees, only to be confronted by his mother, who asked, “Am I to feed my children, or pay for school fees?” It’s an impossible dilemma for a mother to find herself in, and especially difficult for a child with a desire for a better life. Steve’s mother chose to feed her family.

Steve left home, vowing never to return to school again. He spent the next two years of his young life as a street child in Nanyuki and Nyeri, fending for himself. It was in these very streets that a good Samaritan approached Steve to tell him that he could find a safe home at the Children and Youth Empowerment Centre. Since then, Steve has returned to school and has hope for a brighter future. He recently received a prestigious Wings to Fly scholarship from the Equity Foundation and has started secondary school.

Your support helps educate and prepare young people such as Steve. Thank you so much!