The drop-in centre in Mombasa run by a partner, Glad’s House Kenya, has recently introduced a message box. Suggested by one of the boys who uses the centre, it is way for children to share their thoughts and feedback with the staff who support them.
So far, the box has proved a popular way for children to communicate with adults about their worries and achievements. The Glad’s House Kenya staff have been moved by the range of heartfelt messages left in the box.
Bokey, the Glad’s House Kenya founder, opened the box one day and found a note from Lillian. At just 14 years old, Lillian has a child herself, and visits the centre with her baby and younger siblings, who have all experienced multiple and complex traumas from spending their young lives living on the street. Looking for food and money they were at terrible risk of abuse, violence and exploitation. When Lillian got pregnant, she felt that she had no future.
“In the note she had written her hopes and dreams for the future” Bokey told us. “How she wishes to go to school and study; how she wants to build a better life for her mother, sister and son and how she wants to give hope to other children on the streets”
Lillian also wrote about working hard so that she doesn’t become a child bride and so that she can one day become a surgeon and make a difference to other people.
Because of your support, Glad’s House Kenya can help children like Lillian. From the moment the outreach workers meet children living on the streets they have a chance to find safety. They are able to have hot nutritious meals, counselling and to get back into education so they can be the best version of themselves when they grow up. Just like Lillian, we would like to thank the amazing staff at Glad’s House Kenya and our other partners across the countries we work for their tireless diligence in making a difference to children’s lives.
No child should ever be alone on the streets. Every child, no matter where they are in the world deserves to be encouraged and to feel like they deserve an education.
Between midday 29th November and 6th December, you can double the gift of hope to children by donating to our Big Give Christmas Challenge. £70 will be doubled to £140 to pay for outreach workers to identify and assist children living on the streets.
