Operation: Street Boys

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

I recognized his torn blue sweater and sweet face almost every time I went into town. He was different than the other boys that I saw in the street. He never once asked us for anything, never acted like he was high, and when I decided to introduce myself to him one day he was nothing but polite. His name was Dennis. From then on I was always sure to talk to him, and even pointed him out to my teammates. Bethany and I tried asking him where he lived one day, and from the way his head dropped immediately we knew what the answer was. We agreed right then that we wanted him in the center.

The center used to have an additional location in town called the Drop-In Center. This is where street boys would typically go before coming to the CYEC. After a while of showing that they could be committed to going regularly and they were off glue, then they could move to the center. However, since it is no longer running, we weren’t sure what the protocol was for new kids. Another volunteer from Penn State, Orry, was also interested in this, as he had met not only Dennis but also another boy named Maina who was just as nice. After talking to some of the staff, he got permission to bring both of the boys!!

We were on a mission. The very next morning Orry and I went into town and began to search for them. After 20 minutes of walking around we found Maina in a park. Like Orry had said, he was very kind, and he helped us to then find Dennis. We took both of them to a café and bought them chai and ndazi (tea and donut-like things).  We asked them if they wanted to go with us to the center. They had both heard about it from other people, and both nodded their heads, yes. After leaving the café we asked if they needed to get anything. Neither one did, so we lead them to the matatu stage. We hopped on the one headed back home, and Orry and I let out a sigh of relief at how easy it was.

            While waiting to leave, however, Dennis said he needed to use the restroom. He hopped out, and we looked at Maina. “He isn’t coming back,” he said. Fail. We asked him if he still wanted to go, and he said that he would rather go the next day. We planned to meet at the same park the next morning, and asked him to try to talk to Dennis about it. Going back without them gave us such a feeling of failure. We weren’t confident that either of the boys would really be waiting for us the next day, but there was nothing more we could do but be hopeful.

            The next morning, we ran into Dennis on our way to the park. He seemed a bit unsure of us, but he went with us to the park to meet Maina. First we had chai and ndazi again, and then we had the boys talk to Nurse Dan who works in the health clinic at the center. We ran into him by chance, but we couldn’t have been more thankful for it. Dennis was still skeptical about going, but Dan assured him that he could just go with us for the day and we would bring him back whenever. An older boy named Simon who had previously lived at the center was trying so hard to help us. He even agreed to go with us to make the boys feel more comfortable and was reassuring Dennis the whole time.

            The next 10 minutes were a blur. People were staring as we walked with them. We were quickly surrounded by several other street boys, all talking to either us or the boys, some speaking in Swahili and others in English. Everyone just seemed to know what was happening. When we got to the matatu stage, Maina hopped right in with Orry as Dennis held back. He froze. A group of men surrounded him, some nudging him closer while others just talked to him in Swahili. I knew they were trying to help, but I knew we couldn’t force him to go with us. I wanted nothing more than for him to just grab my hand and come with me, but instead I just told him that it was okay, that I understood. I shook his hand, and he walked away.

Me and Maina

            But the truth is, I don’t understand. Yesterday Maina and Dennis were living the same unsure life and heading nowhere. But today, Maina is playing with other kids at the center and making friends. He is guaranteed 3 meals a day, a bed, a place to bathe, and will soon be going back to school. He has hope. But Dennis is still living on the streets. I know he has friends and people look out for him, but nothing in his life is consistent. Who knows when his next meal will be or where he’ll sleep tonight. He has no chance of going back to school, and therefore, a very slim chance of having a good future. To me, the choice is obvious and it was as simple as getting on a matatu, but I know he is afraid. I wish I could make him realize how his life could be changed, and I still intend to.

            But for now, I have to be thankful that we were able to at least help one boy. Watching Maina at the center has been amazing. He is starting to come out of his shell, and I see how much he likes it here. He wants badly to go back to school, and I know that he’ll work so hard once he is there.

Please keep both of these boys in your thoughts and prayers.

"The Day I Will Never Forget"

They call themselves the Fast Five.

Isaac, Francis, James, Jackson, and Peter - or Kichwa, Mwanzia, Jimmy, Masai, and Bamboo-ey. The main street boys here at the CYEC. After being at the center for a few years, they are all now between the ages of 15 and 18. They all spent at least 3 years of their lives living on the streets of Kenya. Francis and Isaac were there even longer than that. Francis spent 6, while Isaac was there for an incredible 8 years. That is almost half his life. Sleeping on the sidewalks of Nyeri or in an alley behind Julie’s Coffee, asking wazungu for money, waiting for people to leave the Samrat Supermarket so they could ask them for food, sniffing glue to get high, answering to no one, and running from the police daily - this was their life, their every day reality. They have been arrested for stealing food so that they could feed themselves, sent to prison, and escaped. They have been sent to boys’ establishments. Some escaped from there even, while others did their time then went back to their old lifestyle. Even at these places they were beat and fed less than nutritious food. They are independent and have never needed anyone. They are tough.

Jackson, James, Isaac, Francis, and Peter ready to leave!

But they didn’t just wind up on the streets one day. They had good reason to be there. Abusive parents. Parents that didn’t love them. Parents unable to support them so they had to live with other relatives that didn’t care about them. Any number of reasons. But for as rough of a life as they have had, they have the kindest hearts. They are all determined to succeed in life, and I know for a fact that they will. I can see it in their eyes when they talk about their future. They gained more than just street smarts from all those years – these kids are intelligent, passionate, dedicated, and hard-working. They take nothing for granted. Francis is the top of his class. James is second in his and speaks better English than I do (on top of Swahili, Kikuyu, and Sheng). Isaac, Jackson, and Francis are all Prefects at the center and their school. Isaac leads the acrobatics and karate club, paints, makes jewelry, and can make shoes. He does it all! Peter works so hard and even studies on the weekends so that he can one day be a criminologist. And, of course, they all love to dance. And a better team can't be found than when those 5 are on the football field together.

I am in awe of the fact that they were able to overcome all of the obstacles that were dealt to them and get to the point that they are at now. The center has been a great place for them to grow and really shine, but to be honest - they changed their own lives. No one else can take credit for that. They made the choice and went through the struggle alone. Going from growing up completely independent and addicted to drugs to fighting that addiction and entering voluntarily into a place with rules and responsibilities. It couldn’t have been easy.

These boys have been a major source of my entertainment during my time here, as they love to sing, dance, and joke around like any 16 year old boy. Peter, James, and Isaac have also been vying for my sister’s heart ever since I showed them a picture of my family. :) One night while we were hanging out, we got on the topic of food. They eat the same thing every single day for lunch, so they were imaging things they would rather eat. Pizza was soon mentioned. I asked if they had ever had it, and their response was “Aye! No. No, no, no. Not us.” I couldn’t even give you an estimation of the number of times that I have eaten pizza. James told me a story about a time when he was living on the streets he saw a man in a restaurant eating pizza with his family, smiling and laughing. Instead of being angry and resentful toward this family and his own situation, he promised himself that he would one day be that man.

Just hanging out at at park.

I decided right then that I wanted to do something for these boys. I wanted to show them how important they are and how much I appreciate their friendship. There is no one in the world that deserves pizza more than these boys. So I asked them if they would like to go into town with me one weekend. They were immediately excited. :) I told them we could get pizza, and they could show me where they used to live. They couldn’t wait! Every time I saw them after that they would just shake their heads with huge smiles and say “Aye!! Pizza!”. (I learned that you have to really emphasize the Z’s, pee-ZUH, or else they think you’re saying ‘Peter’. They pronounce Peter like “pee-tuh” because of their accents. Pizza, pee-tuh. That was confusing at one point. Haha!). When the day arrived they were all wearing their nicest shirts, and shoes that had been covered in dirt and mud the day before were now spotless. And they could not stop smiling. :) Before we left, I double-checked that they were going to stay with me at all times. They were offended that I thought they would leave me, and they assured me they would also protect me if need be. They very seriously punched their fists into their hands and said, “If anyone messes with Bailey…..”! (pronounced more like 'Belly'). 

We also got some ice cream... and peanut butter. They have always wanted to try it. And they always insisted on me getting huge scoopfuls. haha!

When we got into town, we walked around for a bit. They had a great time laughing at and translating the things people were yelling at them because they were with a mzungu, and me for being one. “I have never even been greeted by a mzungu, and you have one as a friend!”, or “I want you, I need you, I love you!". That was the best one - they were cracking up. :) Then they showed me places they had slept, where they would hide from the police, and talked to some of their old friends. They were more than happy to show me their old “home”. They are proud of what they survived, and they should be. They are truly amazing and strong people.

Next, we went to Raybell’s for some pee-ZUH! They had a great time taking pictures of each other drinking their Alvaro pop/soda/soda-pop/whatever. Some other wazungu walked in while we were waiting for our food, and they teased me a bit with saying, “Look, it is your family! Go and greet your mother and sister.” They thought it was hilarious. Haha! They couldn't stop looking around at the restaurant; none of them had been in a place that nice before. It is about the equivalent of an old diner. All conversation stopped, though, when those pizzas were brought out. I had to show them how to eat it, but they caught on quickly. When I asked them if they liked it, James replied, “We don’t have words to describe it, it is so good! Thank you so much Bailey," while the others fervently nodded their agreement with mouths full. It was then decided that their favorite pizza is ham and pineapple. :)

After a few other things in town, we hopped on a matatu to head back to the center. On the way, we talked about their school exams they had just taken. For their composition exam, they had to write on the topic of "The Day I Will Never Forget". As soon as someone mentioned it, it just kind of stuck. They kept repeating, "Aye! Pizza. The day I will never forget," as they smiled proudly. I was able to make them Kings for a day, but they are forever my heroes.

Service Project #1

Our second day here, we were put to work organizing the Zawadi (gift) Shop. The purpose of this “shop” is to teach the children how to work for things they need and/or want. The shop gets stocked with essential items like soap, clothes, and school supplies and also fun things like stuffed animals and books, then the children earn points around the center by doing work. When we arrived, the Zawadi system had dwindled due to a lack of donations to fill the shop. And because of this, the kids had stopped doing extra work (they still have daily duties). Essential items were just being distributed, and the center’s main goal of preparing the children for life after the center was failing. So it was our job, under the supervision of a new friend of ours, Gladwell, to get it going again!

Step 1: Cleaning. We swept the walls and the floor with a Kenyan “broom”, which is a bundle of stick-like things binded together at one end. (I’m pretty good with them now!) Then we scrubbed every inch of the inside of the shop with soap and water.

Issa, myself, and half of Bethany working on painting Mount Kenya.

Bethany and I working on the puzzle.

Step 2: Painting. The shop already had some great paintings on the wall, but a lot of them had faded badly and most of the paint was chipping off or had water stains. We chose a light purple (Go State!), and had a lot of other great ideas including a puzzle, Mount Kenya (thanks to a very talented artist we’ve met here named Isaa – he even let Bethany and I do a lot of it), and handprints (thanks to a couple very patient and adorable nursery school kids who were very okay with us painting their hands)!

Kenna and Gladwell by the handprint wall. It says CYEC!

Step 3: Organizing. The shop had a small assortment of leftover clothes and random toys, but after unloading the donations we and the Penn State team (they are also partnered with the center and send a 3-week team every summer) brought, the shop was looking much more full! A couple other donations came in, one of them a huge truckload, and now the shop is so full of great things. This has been an on-going process, and hopefully it stays that way!
Step 4: The actual system. At first we thought it would be easy. The kids do work, get points, buy stuff! Well, there’s been a lot more to it than that. So many problems came up during this, such as: Who gives out the points? How do we keep track of who has how many points? Who decides what work can be done for points? And on and on and on. Bethany, Nick, and Gladwell took the lead on working out the kinks of these problems, and have set up a pretty complex QuickBooks system. We are also relying on the Prefects (it’s just like Harry Potter! I’ll explain more later) to give out the points, and they have been doing a great job of staying on top of things and being organized.

Mount Kenya (finished), the Kenyan flag, extra supplies, and the clothes side of the shop.

The essentials/toy side of the shop. The "Zawadi Shop" was leftover from the first round of the Zawadi system.

The kids had been getting so excited for it, standing at the windows every day and looking in. The day the Zawadi system was implemented again was hilarious. I couldn't get anyone to even play football with me because they all wanted to work and earn points. :) And the first day the shop opened... insanity!! I have never seen them so excited. But the great part is that they have that same enthusiasm every time they get to go in. They are more than willing to work for what they get, and they are proud to finally have that opportunity again.


Step 5: Sustaining. This is definitely the most important part of this program. While the shop is full now, we still worry about how long it will last. If the center doesn’t keep getting sufficient amounts donated, then it won’t work. The center itself is also struggling to continue buying even the essential items that the children have to have. We are looking into the best options for us to be able to ensure the sustainability of the program. If you are interested in helping please e-mail me at bmyers09@ksu.edu, and I’ll keep you posted on the possibilities.

The front of the shop. It looks even better when there are 20 kids lined up outside! (I'll get a picture one day.)

                Thanks for reading!