Tumaini

Tumaini (Swahili for hope) is a drop in center for street kids in Eldoret.  The organization is dedicated to empowering and serving street children here, and ultimately giving them hope. These children roam the streets all day in search of food, money, and friendship. Some are orphaned, but most come from families too poor to provide for their children.  Living on the street often leads to malnutrition, which inhibits their growth and development and puts them at risk for a myriad of infectious diseases. Substance abuse is nearly ubiquitous among the street children.  You will find many of them walking around with a bottle of glue hanging from their mouth, huffing to get high and suppress their hunger.  They are frequently harassed or abused by community members and even by the police. However, most of the street children are not inherently delinquents or criminals; they are just seeking love, care, and support...what all of us want. These street children are missing their opportunity for education, vulnerable to violence and disease, and without access to health care or other social services. They have been denied their rights as children by the demands of living a life of survival on the streets.

Thankfully, Tumaini works to provide a safe environment and positive role models for these children.  On Saturday mornings, a handful of us go to the outreach events, hoping to build relationships with the children.  Most of the mornings consist of games of soccer, which the boys love.  Noticing that the girls often don't come, we are planning to have more activities for them next week, such as crafts, jump roping, and nail painting.   Last Saturday, another physician and I held a clinic in the barracks where many of the street children stay.  Most of my encounters included a pregnancy test and lots of counseling.  Despite leaving with a headache from inhaling glue all day in the closed tent, we are planning to have frequent Saturday clinics for them.  Serving these kids has been an enjoyable part of the week.

Here are a few pics of the kids...

Hiding in the tree yelling "Nyumba" (Swahili for House - my new nickname)



They love to perform

 

I am enjoying getting to know these kids, learning about life through their eyes.  My hope is that even if just for a moment, these outreaches would give them a chance to claim back some of their childhood - to play, be carefree, and feel loved.  May they get a glimpse of God's unconditional love that provides the greatest hope and will never abandon them.