Dan is digging for success

Dan’s mother died while he was still at primary school. 

With no-one to look after him, his aunt Gladys looked after him while he was in high school and our partners Education for Life provided him with accommodation when he finished school in 2015.

His grades were not high, and he survived by doing odd jobs. His talent for music meant that he became the regular keyboard player at church, but of course that couldn’t earn him a living!

Dan met us during our trustees visit in February, explaining how he needed a skill to enable him to get a decent job. 

After some discussion, we agreed to fund a course for him to train as a construction machinery operator which should enable him to get a job in Kenya’s booming construction industry when he qualifies.

Brian earns his place at polytechnic

Brian is an orphaned boy who Footsteps has supported for several years. 

During our trustees visit in February, Brian's foster mother Lucy told us how Brian had been doing casual work since he left school. Although he hadn't earned a huge amount, Lucy was delighted that Brian had given her some of his earnings to help the family budget!

However, Brian was keen to learn a proper trade, and, impressed by the fact that Brian was already trying to help himself, Footsteps offered to fund his plumbing course at Naivasha Technical Training Institute.

The photo shows him with Anne Mwaura who will be supervising him as he acquires the skills that will help him find permanent wage-earning employment.

Sunshine turned my life around

Samuel Kamau is on a safari from the streets to the national parks of Kenya. “I came to the Sunshine Centre from the streets in 2012,” Samuel told us. “Sunshine turned my life around!”

We had travelled through the traffic jams of Nairobi to catch up with Samuel who is in his first year of his Tourism Management course at the Technical University of Kenya.

When he lived on the streets, the idea of going to college was a distant dream. But, with the help of our Sunshine Centre, he is now on a safari to a new life.

As project director Rev Simon hands over a laptop to help his studies, Samuel tells us about his course: “We have been studying the geography of east Africa, and what motivates tourists to come to Kenya. I have even been to Amboseli National Park and seen elephants and Mt Kilimanjaro."

Read Samuel's full story in the latest Footsteps News.

New home, fresh start for Ernest and Beth

With great rejoicing, Ernest and Beth moved into their new home in time to celebrate Christmas

Ernest is the father of Denis, a young boy who we found scavenging on the streets in 2015 and offered a place at the Sunshine street boys rehabilitation Centre. 

Ernest had gone to work in a quarry and broke his back when the sand he was mining collapsed on him.

While Beth was trying to care for Ernest in hospital, Denis had nobody to look after him, so went to the streets to find food.

Footsteps supporters rallied round to help Ernest and Beth, and when we heard that they faced eviction from their rented home, helped buy a plot of land and build them a new, wheelchair-friendly home.

As they settle in, they will be able to continue to re-build their lives free from the worry of eviction. We are continuing to care for Denis at the Sunshine Centre and pay for his education. 

Sunshine Boys excel in secondary school exams

Eric, Joseph and George have every reason to be pleased with themselves. For a former street boy it's a massive achievement to go to college.

The three young men all spent time living on the streets before coming to the Sunshine Centre. Under the watchful eye of caring staff, and with a warm bed and plenty of food, the boys all settled well back in school.

In November, they passed their final high school exams (KCSE) and are now ready to enrol in college for their next big step on the way to success. 

Bernard and Emmanuel pass out in the heat!

Emmanuel and Bernard have just passed out! It was a hot, sunny day, but that wasn't why they passed out!

The two young men have just completed 6 month's military style training in Kenya's National Youth Service (NYS). Having successfully passed out, they will now continue to do several months of community service before receiving training (both want to learn to handle construction machinery).

Emmanuel and Bernard were both brought up at the Tumaini Children's Home and after leaving school, joined NYS. 

Their placement of the training scheme was organised by Anne Wanjiru who runs the Maisha Bora for Youth programme which provides talented young people from deprived circumstance the opportunity to achieve their dreams!

90 (former) street boys conquer Mt Longonot

The former street boys from the Sunshine Centre dance and sing for joy as they conquer Mt Longonot!

The mountain towers 9,000 feet above the East African plains near the Sunshine Centre. Over 90 boys, staff and visitors from the UK took part in the Mt Longonot Crowd Climb in October, raising valuable sponsorship which will help maintain the Sunshine Centre as a haven for street boys.