Michael, a street kid takes refuge in Nice-View ....

Birthday

History

On 23 February 2009, we were with Boni & Trixi for a conversation at the Youth Welfare Office, meanwhile the manager of another children's home joined. She brought a boy back because the management of the home had decided not to accommodate the boy. Before that he was at that home for 3 days already.

His name is Michael and he is 10 years old. The child service worker informed us about his sad history. For some years he was living together with his older brother with an aunt in Kisumu. Their parents died already several years ago. Michael and his older brother had to perform slave labor at the aunt's place and they got more slaps in the face than food. After his older brother left to attend a mission school, he could not stand it anymore and escape seemed to be the only solution. As stow away he traveled with the train from Kisumu to Mombasa. After begging in the streets of Mombasa for several weeks, he was picked up by a social worker and brought to the Youth Welfare Office in Kwale. After having heard this sad story, Gudrun and our social worker Cosmas decided to take Michael to the Nice-View-Children's-Village still on the same day.

Career

July 2009: It is amazing how fast Michael, as a former street child, has settled in. Michael is caring and always ready to help. He has some difficulties to keep up with his schoolfellows, and likely should not have been put in class 5 already. We will discuss this with the school management and if necessary we will arrange he is downgraded.

November 2010: Michael was downgraded and he is now in class 6. However his school performance is still just fair. He argues a lot – also with us – and is always one of the first when singing and dancing. Michael is a member of the Nice View football team as well.