The
Joseph Kamgethe, Street Boy’s Center
is actually a government run center that is a very dark place with lots of “evil”
things that happen. The boys center is located on the outskirts of Kibera slum,
the largest slum in Kenya. The center houses “street boys” that are found
around Nairobi. “Street boys” are exactly what you are thinking: boys who live
on the street. They are everywhere in Nairobi, knocking on car doors and
begging for food and money. Some of them are orphans, but most of them are runways
that have left their abusive homes looking for better lives somewhere else. Nairobi’s
City Council thinks the boys are criminals and sends men to drive around the
city and capture the boys to drop them off at centers around town. The boys
usually have some type of food and some type of bed at the center.
Our
amazing hostess for the week, Emmy has been volunteering here along with three
other Christian friends for the past two and half years. She focuses mainly on
teaching English and trying to share the gospel with boys. They have also
raised funds for 28 of the boys to go to school (many of them have never
attended before because it cost $200). This $200 covers their school fees,
uniforms, books and food. Can you imagine buying a pair of $200 shoes knowing
that you could have used that 200 to change someone future for the better for
the rest of their lives? How easily do
we spend $200? There are currently around 40 boys at the center so Emmy tries
to teach the boys some type of school until they can raise the funds to send
them as well. The boys can be ages 4-16, but right now the center has boys from
the age 6-16!
While
we were there we had the opportunity of going to the center twice. The first
morning that we visited my heart and mind were overwhelmed. We pulled up to the
center which is one “community center” building that has one room open for
activities and such and then one room filled with metal bunk beds squished
together. There were about 5 stray dogs hanging around which yes, I overcame a
fear and didn’t let those dogs scare me. I had courage! J There were a few boys
hanging around (not yet sponsor to go to school), but most of the boys were at
school.
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| Their "bedroom" |
Our
first morning there we took on the task of washing the boys’ blankets- all forty
of them to be exact. Their blankets had never been washed before. We had no
idea what was in these blankets, but we didn’t let it stop us. Each team member
humbled themselves and went right to work without complaining or saying a word
of negativity. We had to wash the blankets by hand so we started an assembly
line of some people filling buckets, carrying buckets, scrubbing blankets,
rising blankets, wringing blankets and laying them out to dry. The minute a
blanket touched the water the water turned completely brown. We scrubbed their
blankets many times, but each time we scrubbed more and more came out of them.
We had a limited amount of water so we could only wash the blankets twice and
rinse them twice, but they were still filthy dirty. {I was hurting inside. I was frustrated. I was angry. I just wanted
those blankets to be completely clean. God very quietly spoke to my heart that
all I could do with my very best for this moment and that He would cleanse the
rest. He asked me to pray over each blanket that I washed that the boy would
feel He love and peace as he slept with the blanket that night. I repented of
my emotions and abide in trusting God by praying.} We worked hard. We left
soaking wet, dirty and unsettled in our hearts.
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| Filling buckets with water |
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| Carrying buckets after buckets of water |
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| Washing |
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| Rinsing |
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| Wringing water out |
The
next day we returned to the center in the afternoon so we could play soccer and
games with the boys who were at school while we were there the other morning
washing blankets. The minute Emmy told them we were there to play soccer with
them and they came running out shouting with excitement! J Our students played soccer
with them for a few hours and of course they were tens better than we were. We
also set-up a little corn hole game which I had the privilege of playing with
some of the smaller boys. My job was to be the cheerleader and celebrate with
them when they made it and encourage them when they didn’t! J
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| Cheering at the corn hole game! :) |
We
learned many sad things about what goes on at the center-lots of abusive,
stealing, and punishments from the director. The director is a very evil man
who gives me the creeps when I looked at him. He makes me so angry and I wish that he would
just be taken away, but I was remind again even yesterday at church how God can
take the most evil man (Saul/Paul Acts) and change him! I was convicted of my
prayer for this man and this was something that Emmy taught me as well. She said
“I first pray that God will change His heart and that he would know God and
then she prays that if not he would be taken away.” Injustice like this makes
your heart long for Jesus to come back and bring justice so much more intense.
Before
we left the center we had the opportunity to hand out toothbrushes and
toothpaste to each of the boys. Oh, how excited they were to receive such a necessary
thing. The little boys ran over to brush their teeth the minute they received their
toothbrushes. Seeing their toothpaste filled smiles brought joy to my heart
knowing it is just the simple things of life that should bring us joy. We don’t
need things- we need to know that we are loved, cared for and wanted and the
only one who is the best at that is God!!! Emmy also told them who washed their
blankets the day before and this is when I broke down. You should have heard
their expressions and comments of thankfulness. “Thank you SO much I haven’t
slept that good in a long time.” “My blanket smelled SO good.” “It felt SO good
getting into bed.” How can this be? There was no way that we washed those
blankets to the clean that “we” would sleep in and think smelled good. We
couldn’t give them “our” very clean, but to them it was perfect. Words can’t
describe how this moved my heart… it seriously brings tears to my eyes each
time I think or tell this story. And it also showed me a tangible way of how
powerful prayer is and abiding to what God lays on your heart! I pray that I
will never forget this center and deep things that I learned from this place.
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| Melt you heart?! |
If
you would love to sponsor a boy so that they can attend school please contact
me and I will get you all the information! Also, if you would love to please
join me in prayer for the boys at this center, Emmy and her friends who
volunteer here shinning God’s light in the dark places, the director’s heart to
change and that justice would be brought! My heart has to just trust that God
is in control and that His plan will always rule over the darkest even when we
can’t see it!
Thanks
for reading a little glimpse into my trip. There will be plenty more (exactly 6
actually) posts talking about the other ministries throughout the next weeks!
Love, Daniella
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