Cheated at Birth: What we want for Christmas, Nakuru street children speak
Mr Charles Opiyo, Chairman of street families in Nakuru during an interview with Mtaa Wangu.
It's officially festive season and for a majority of us, the holidays present a chance for us to give back to those in need, with street families being one of the beneficiaries that are often showered with lots of food and clothes.
Just in case you're thinking of giving alms to street families here in Nakuru, how best can you do it?
Mtaa Wangu caught up with Charles Opiyo and Judy Ndung'u, the chairman and chairlady of Street Families in Nakuru, to learn how best well-wishers can be of value to street families.
Mr. Opiyo starts, "For the longest time during festive seasons, we get a lot of donations in terms of food and clothes which we are grateful for. However, there are some specific challenging areas where we require more assistance such as sanitary towels."
Conversations with the two street family leaders reveal the great need for sponsorship of rehabilitated street children.
Mr. Opiyo shares, "We have so many boys and girls in need of rehabilitation. The greatest way we can get assistance is through the sponsorship of rehabilitation programs."
As he talked about sponsorship, Mr. Opiyo pointed out another area in dire need of attention is the sponsoring of street children through polytechnics for them to learn new skills.
"Even as well-wishers look to helping us, the biggest Christmas present for these growing street kids is acceptance into society, especially for those that are rehabilitated and are looking for jobs to better their living conditions," Judy chimes in.
The last area the street family leaders point out is help with the payment of rent.
Judy narrates, "Once a member of the street family is rehabilitated, we rent an apartment for a couple of them to share even as they try to be a part of the society. The biggest challenge we have is paying rent for these units since a majority of them can't keep their jobs long enough due to society's harsh prejudice against members of street families."
When asked what the proper channels for giving to the street families are, Mr. Opiyo shares, "No matter how big or small your donation is, reach out to either me or Judy. This helps with the arrangement of how to equitably share the donations among the group."
As the conversation draws to a close, Charles Opiyo shares, "I've been part of the street family for close to three decades. Over this period, I've seen lots of exploitation of street children particularly by people that take photos while giving alms for the sake of likes or fame."
To this effect, Charles shares that he no longer allows well-wishers to take photos of the street families while helping them.
"In my opinion, true charity is one that's between you and the person(s) that is receiving the charity with God as your witness," Charles Opiyo closes off.