Cheated at Birth: Love, education, saved us from the streets of Nakuru

In the heart of Nakuru, there lives a man named Peter Maina. His weathered face and calloused hands bear the scars of thirty-five years spent on the unforgiving streets.

Mr Maina has grown up in the shadows of towering buildings, his playground the cold concrete alleys that echoed with the footsteps of hurried strangers.

Mr Maina says, “My parents became victims of circumstance, succumbing to the relentless grind of poverty ,leading them to live on the streets. Since I was ten years, I have had to navigate life all by myself.”

Read: Cheated at Birth: What happens when a street child in Nakuru turns 18?

As he spoke of his journey, his eyes reflected the pain of countless nights spent under the flickering streetlights, searching for a morsel of food or a makeshift shelter against the biting cold. He had seen it all, the camaraderie among fellow street dwellers, the brutality of survival, and the desperate longing for something more.

“The streets, however, were not kind to me as there were numerous times I found myself on the wrong side of the law, arrested for the crime of simply trying to survive. But my spirit remained unbroken,” Mr Maina expresses.

In the midst of his trials, Mr Maina had found solace in the arms of another lost soul, a woman named Shiru. Their love blossomed amidst the chaos of cardboard-box homes.

They vowed to weather the storm together, hand in hand, embracing the makeshift family they created in the heart of adversity.

Also Read: Cheated at Birth: The battle between street families and child traffickers in Nakuru city
Mr Maina states, “Getting children meant no difference but passing down the same hardship we endured in the streets, but it was a little different as our three children got access to schools through children’s homes unlike us whose focus was to get money and not education.”

As Mr Maina continued to share his narrative, he spoke of his life taking a turn the moment he secured a job helping fill matatus in Nakuru town.

Although, his earnings are little, Maina says it goes a long way providing basic needs for him and his wife.

On the other hand, is Daniel Wafula whose five years in the street had been tumultuous, shaped by the echoes of a drunkard father and a helpless poor mother.

Mr Wafula says, “One day as I was strolling, I found myself at the doorstep of a children's home. The desperation for a better life, an escape from the cycle of poverty and abuse, led me to take a chance on a different path. The children's home became a refuge, a place of safety and possibility of a better future.”

Luck smiled upon Mr Wafula when a compassionate family decided to adopt him. With newfound stability, he embraced the opportunities that came with education.

The once-homeless boy, who had only known the cold concrete of the streets, now found warmth in the embrace of a loving family.

Read: Cheated at Birth: Inside the world of Nakuru street families, where only the fittest survive
“My journey through academia led me to pursue a degree in engineering. The boy who had once felt abandoned and lost is now an Engineer graduate on the brink of a promising future, ready to use his knowledge to build bridges,” he jovially shares.

As Mr Wafula shared his story, he reflected on the plight of countless children still trapped in the cycle of poverty and abuse. He spoke passionately about the need for initiatives to rescue these young souls, providing them with a chance at a better life and a brighter future.

In the spirit of giving back, Daniel outlines his own planned initiatives for the future. He says “In years to come, I  envision creating shelters and educational programs aimed at rescuing children from the streets, offering them not just a roof over their heads but a pathway to education and self-discovery.”

Related: Cheated at Birth: How desperation for basic needs drives street children to crime
With a heart full of gratitude for the second chance life had given him, he spoke of his commitment to creating positive change. As an engineering graduate, he saw the potential for infrastructure projects that could uplift entire communities, providing jobs and hope for future generations.

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