Sunshine leavers celebration

As the end of the academic year approaches, the Sunshine Centre staff organised a leavers' celebration to equip our former street boys for their next step in life.

During an emotional day, the boys were given professional advice on how to manage job interviews, they were reminded of the importance of living their lives God's way, and they formed themselves into an alumni group  to encourage each other.

Many of the boys have been with us since they were rescued from the streets in 2004 when the Sunshine Centre first opened.

Now, as young adults they are fully equipped to move into the world of work, knowing that the Sunshine staff and their Sunshine brothers are still with them for help and advice.

One aim of the newly formed alumni group is to come back to talk to and encourage the younger boys who are still at the Centre. They are compelling role models that show what a street boy can achieve!

Former street boy Samuel graduates....and more

On 26^th of July, Samuel Kamau graduated from Kenyatta University with a degree in Sociology – he has a bright future ahead of him. 

When he first came to our Sunshine Centre in 2009, Samuel had been living on the streets of Naivasha, sleeping outside and scavenging among the garbage piles for food to eat. 

“Life on the streets was very difficult,” he told us.

At the Sunshine Centre, we funded Samuel’s education, and provided him with good food, loving care and helped him stay connected with his family during the school holidays.

Samuel's graduation day was a busy affair with over 7,000 students receiving their awards. Who was managing security on the campus for the event? James Maina - another former street boy we cared for at the Sunshine Centre! 

To provide the sustained care that street boys like Samuel and James need to excel we need the help of a huge number of donors and supporters. Thank you working with us to transform the lives of many more young people!

Sun shines for 2019 Kenya Marafun

Despite heavy rain during the preceding week, the day of the third Kenya Marafun dawned clear and sunny. 319 took part, running, jogging and walking over the steep hills and through the cliff-lined valleys of Hell’s Gate national park, past herds of giraffe, zebra and warthogs.

Eighty former street boys from the Sunshine Centre led the way, accompanied by students from the Naivasha Polytechnic, Bishop Wambari Girl’s school and a team of visitors who travelled all the way from UK to take part.

Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) provided a team of rangers to patrol the park and keep inquisitive buffaloes away from the route. KWS head warden Peter Lekeren was so impressed with the event that he invited us to do it again next year!

Joseph and Peter graduate in style!

Joseph Th'iongo and Peter Gathoga used to be street boys (difficult to imagine looking at the photos!).

We rescued them from a life of poverty on the streets, gave them a place at our Sunshine Centre, and arranged for them to go back to school.

Both boys were good with their hands, so after leaving school we enrolled them at polytechnic to learn to be welders. 

They worked hard, learned their trade and passed the national exams. The photo shows them receiving their awards on graduation day.

But their story gets better. Both boys have been employed as welders by Francis Kamau, one of our Sunshine 'old boys' who now runs a successful welding business in Nairobi. 

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.