George’s story: how one street-connected child healed from trauma and rebuilt his life

“He [George] could have been killed because the street life is not conducive for children.”

Francis, George’s Case worker

As the year draws to a close, many children are eagerly anticipating the festive season and the end of their school year. That’s not the reality for children like George.

Once a street-connected child, 20-year-old George’s life was defined by the harsh realities of the streets.

“I had nobody on my side, I was left on the street with no food, no shelter, no clothing, no friends, and nobody.” he recalls.

But with the help of Chance for Childhood’s community partner, KUAP, he found a path back to education and the chance to rebuild his life.

Our program offers street-connected children a lifeline, providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive in life. The program also provides counselling to help children process and heal from their experiences. This counselling proved to be a lifeline for George, who shared, “[It] helped me find hope again.”

Thanks to our dedicated KUAP team, George is now in college and has big dreams for the future. He hopes to get a job, make a positive impact on the world, and help others the way KUAP helped him.

Countless children like George are enduring unimaginable hardships on the dangerous streets of Kisumu, Kenya, this Christmas.

The streets are no place for a child.

Francis, George’s case worker tells us, “If George could not have got that help … he could have been killed because the street life is not conducive for children. [Or] he could have escaped to where nobody could have known because of the depression he underwent.”

With over 300,000 children living on the streets of Kenya, our partners on the ground are working round the clock to find and support these children. Keeping them off the street for good.

Thank you George for sharing your story.