Grace's dream is back on track

Ever since leaving the care of our Tumaini Children's Home, Grace has wanted to be a teacher. But her dreams were put on hold when Covid 19 shut down schools and her Early Childhod Development and Education course was suspended.    

But she is happy now that she has been able to resume her studies (complete with obligatory face mask!). She has one more year to go before she realises her dream of teaching reception year children. 

Peter Mutegi, a former street boy from our Sunshine Centre, is keeping himself busy working on construction sites while he waits for his school to re-open. The soap from his family aid pack comes in handy for washing his dirty clothes.

Peter says: "Thank you for the help my family have received since March - this includes me, my three brothers and my mum.

Every month we have been receiving flour, maize, porridge, beans, cooking oil, soap, and recently, reusable face masks.

Asante sana (thank you very much) and may God bless all who have been assisting us"

Once I lived on the streets - now I am a telecoms executive

A 'good news' WhatsApp message from Kelvin Otieno - a former street boy who came to the Sunshine Centre in 2007:

"I am happy to tell you that I was taken on with Safaricom (Kenya's leading telecoms company) after my internship. And I recommended Edward Makori from the Sunshine Centre to have my previous job as an accountant. He was taken on and we both now have jobs. Thank to the Almighty God!"

Emergency aid programme extended to 108 families in the kwa Reuben slum, Nairobi

 

We extended our emergency aid programme to include 108 families in the kwa Reuben slum. School directors Bernard and Ruth Ndetei (photo below left) reported: "This was a timely rescue for families that were on the verge of starvation and / or exposure to Covid 19 owing to the challenge of having to move around seeking something to eat, with no regard for Covid 19 precautionary measures." In each emergency pack we provided essentials such as maize, beans, flour, cooking oil and soap. Bernard and Ruth said, "The joy on the faces of the families and staff is obvious from the photos. We would like to thank everyone who went out of their way to help us in these uniquely difficult times.  Subject to availability of resources, we would like to continue supporting other families because the need for this in our community is very pressing."

Safe, well-fed, and off the streets!

Mishek and Samson are smiling because they know they have enough food for their family for a month.

The two former street boys are having to stay at home as part of Kenya's lockdown measures to combat Covid 19, but their mother struggles to cope (which is why they went to the streets in the first place.

We have been providing the boys and their families (and 140 more from our Sunshine Centre), with emergency aid since the end of March. And we have been helping people in the community made vulnerable because they have lost their jobs or seen their income drop.

In total, we have we have been able to reach out with emergency aid to over 1,200 beneficiaries from 150 families, and have supplied nearly 100,000 litres of free, clean water to vulnerable families.

A wave of aid

Former street boy Peter Kariuki - still smiling despite the coronavirus crisis

Current situation in Kenya

The reported number of cases of Covid 19 in Kenya remains low, although continuing to rise. The lockdown continues. With schools closed and travel restrictions in place, many people continue to suffer the economic impact of the crisis.

In Naivasha, the situation is dire with flower farms and hotels still closed. These are the two main sources of employment in this lakeside town. Informal businesses such salons, barbershops and quarries have also seen reduced trade.
 

In response, our team in Naivasha has continued to provide emergency aid to the families of our street boys, and members of the local community who are struggling because of the crisis. 

Sunshine street boys’ rehabilitation Centre, Naivasha

Our (former) street boys have left the Sunshine Centre to live with their families, and are therefore back in the conditions that drove them to the streets in the first place.

During May, the Sunshine Centre team distributed another round of emergency packs to all of our boys and their families. 

Each pack contained 10 kg of beans, 10 kg of maize, 2 kg of rice, 24 kg of maize meal, 3 litres of cooking oil and 4 large bars of soap, supplemented with spinach and kale from the Sunshine Centre farm. The team organised transport to ensure that the heavy emergency packs reached the families’ homes safely. 

In total we reached 131 families, a total of 795 beneficiaries (we are helping the whole family, not just ‘our’ Sunshine Boy). 

Fighting back against coronavirus

Food and facemasks:

fighting the impact of coronavirus

Current situation in Kenya

The reported number of Covid 19 cases in Kenya is low but rising. The main impact to date has been economic hardship as a result of the collapse of tourism, and the closure of hotels and flower farms which employ tens of thousands of people.

The poorest are being hit the hardest. Mothers who earned a small amount packing vegetables and doing washing report that their earnings have dried up because of social distancing measures. Fathers who do casual work at quarries report that their earnings have dropped as construction slows down.

Here is a brief update on how we are using the resources we have to fight back against the impact of the pandemic.

Sunshine street boys’ rehabilitation Centre, Naivasha

Almost all our (former) street boys have left the Sunshine Centre to live with their families, and are therefore back in the conditions that drove them to the streets in the first place (our staff are looking after those that have no relatives).

The Sunshine Centre team launched a massive effort to get emergency aid packs to each family, providing them with food and soap, and reassuring them that they are not forgotten.

Over a period of 4 days, the Sunshine Centre team supplied emergency packs to 100 families, helping a total of 602 beneficiaries (we are helping the whole family, not just 'our' Sunshine Boy).

Photo top: Emergency packs ready for distribution
Middle left: A mother loads her emergency pack into the matatau (minibus) provided to take her home safely
Middle right: Mama Chege hands over an emergency pack to Sunshine Boy Victor Ochieng and his family.
Bottom left: The beneficiaries received advice on hygiene and social distancing, and prayers for safe-keeping led by pastor Joseph.
Bottom right: Sunshine Boy Joseph Thumbi at home and thankful for the family's emergency pack 

Covid 19 emergency plan kicks in

Emergency food delivery starts

In response to the Covid 19 pandemic, the Kenya government has closed schools and told children's homes to send children back to families where they have them.

Our (former) street boys have now gone home, but this has simply put them back into the conditions of poverty that drove them to the streets in the first place.

Our Sunshine team have developed an emergency plan which kicked off with deliveries of food and soap to the most vulnerable families.

To read more, read our latest newsletter. 

Look how far I have come!

Joseph Njuguna holds up a photo of himself taken in 2004. "Look how far I have come," he says with a huge smile on his face.

Joseph lived on the streets of Naivasha and was one of the first boys to come to our Sunshine Centre when it opened in 2004.

He has just finished his electrical engineering course, and is now doing some casual work while searching for a permanent job.

The photo on the laptop was taken on the day he arrived at the Sunshine Centre. While he  was on the streets he had been stoned by a hostile mob who had (falsely) accused him of stealing a phone. “I cannot imagine where I would be now if I had not come to the Sunshine Centre. Thank you for helping me.”

Record number of (former) street boys make it to high school

For a boy living on the street, going to school is an impossible dream. But for the former street boys join the Sunshine Centre, that distant dream becomes a reality.

This year 15 of the Sunshine Boys successfully completed their national primary exams (KCPE) and started at high schools in various locations in Kenya. The boys remain part of the Sunshine family and we continue to support and encourage them as they take this next big step in the process of transforming their lives.

Dreams come true at Sunshine

Edward Makori has achieved his childhood ambition of graduating from university.

In December he was awarded his BA in Economics from Masai Mara University, the end-result of years of hard work.

But when he was living on the streets of Naivasha, this was a distant dream.

"For lots of reasons, my mother couldn't look after me and I went to live on the streets. I slept under verandas, in tunnels and under bushes. Life was very dangerous and I started to steal. It was very risky because if I caught, I could be stoned to death. I wanted to go back to school, and shared my dream with my friends. Some laughed at me, but others encouraged me not to lose hope."

On 2nd June, 2004, Edward was admitted to the Sunshine Centre (lower photo) where we have cared for him ever since. on 20th December 2019, he graduated (topn photo). 

"I thank God for His grace and Sunshine for giving me a second chance to prove myself. I also thank everyone who has partnered with Sunshine in supporting me to where I am today. May God bless them abundantly."