Most days when I go to town my car is immediately swarmed by anywhere from five to fifteen boys that live in the streets of Kitale. Most of them have parents, but for whatever reason they run away to town because being homeless is better than their situation at home. It’s heart breaking to see these kids struggling to provide for themselves knowing at night they sleep unprotected on the cold, hard streets of town.
A few weeks ago we noticed a boy that was so much tinier than the rest. It broke my heart to see such a little boy struggling and living life all on his own. Zablon quickly became part of the group that sees my car pull into town and comes running.
I had tried to ask him a few questions about his home and where he was from, but he would become nervous and quiet. His story kept changing and he would tell me that he was from a different part of Kitale every time. He wasn’t quite ready to open up about his past, but it was clear that he has been through a lot in his short life.One day I asked one of the boys that was always with him in town about his parents. He told me that he came to town with his mother, who is also sleeping on the streets. She has a mental illness and somehow ended up in Kitale town with her son. Zablon’s case is different than the other boys living in town. He didn’t make the decision to leave his home, but he was brought there to live because his mother had no where to go.
I couldn’t get him off of my mind. It broke my heart that he had no one to care for him or show him love and that he was stuck in the constant survival mode that comes with living life on the streets. One day I went to town and he grabbed on to my hand and I asked him if he wanted to start a new life and come live at Precious Kids Center and he quickly agreed. He was nervous when he first got to the house. He didn’t want to leave my side and kept his eye on the door. I was nervous that he would run away, but after a few hours he quickly warmed up to the other kids at the house. He still has a lot of adjusting to do, but he is getting used to his new environment and slowly working to overcome the trauma of his past.
It’s been fun having him around and I am excited to see him continue to grow and open up. He is a real spunky little boy with LOTS of energy. He needs a little extra love and attention and loves tagging along on errands with me. He said that when he grows up he wants to be a pilot and he said he would fly me to the U.S. anytime I want. We are glad to have him as part of the family and are excited to see what God has planned for his future.
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