THE STREET BOY WITH A GOLDEN HEART

As I was walking down the streets of Nakuru, tracking down 3 street boys I had met a week before at a wedding I was serving, led me to the one boy I will never forget. His name is Joseph.

I stopped behind a supermarket to seek help from a security guard. He pointed at a boy just few meters ahead dressed in dirty worn out clothes, carrying a black plastic bag and a green bottle. He was walking at a fast pace just a few meters away from me.

Right at that moment, I started walking in a much faster pace to catch up with him. I had no idea what to call him so I just shouted “hey!” in the hope he would slow down and turn around. It worked!

He introduced himself as Jose (Joseph). I asked him if he knew the 3 boys I was searching for and he did. He told me one of the boys was arrested, the other ones were in their ‘safe spot’; in the slums of Bondeni. A place they call home.

I was in great shock at that moment. How can a young boy barely 13 years old be arrested? What crime could he have committed? Joseph explained that their ‘crime’ was being homeless. He explained that they would get arrested and taken to jail if found in the streets, then get back thrown on the streets. While in jail, they would be taken to various places such as a farm do manual labor work.

How could I have not known this? I had lived in Nakuru for a couple of years and I was completely clueless of the hardship street children were subjected to.

I wanted to know more of this side of the world. So I asked Joseph to have lunch with me. As we walked down the streets, carrying a bag full of clothes that I had decided to give them away,I finally came across a lady in a wheelchair begging for food with her two young daughters. So I handed over the bag and continued with my quest.

Joseph was behind me, following me as I led the way. When I turned to him, his green bottle was gone! So I asked him where he had placed it and he said that he had given it away to the lady in the wheelchair. My eyes were filled with tears. This young boy gave the only drink he had to someone else with absolutely no assurance of where the next one will come from.

We went to a small café where we ordered our meal and had a chat. I cannot remember all we talked about but at that moment I felt like I had a little brother. I asked him how they coped during winter and he said that they cuddled just to keep each other warm. Sometimes they would get involved in drugs (such as glue) since they help them to escape their tough reality.He also talked about the daily hustle of running away from the police. (Street children get arrested when found on the streets by the police). But despite his hardships, Joseph looked forward to a brighter future which he hoped he would have.

It was finally time to say goodbye. In the black plastic bag, he carried a piece of roasted chicken and fries which was given to him by a ‘good Samaritan’. He told me that he would probably eat it for dinner. As we prepared to part ways, we came a cross one of his friends. A young boy probably 10 years old. As he explained that he hadn’t eaten the whole day, Joseph did not hesitate to give his only meal to this boy.

My heart melted. I was fighting back tears in my eyes. I could not comprehend the generosity and kindness of this young man.

What makes this boy remarkable is not just about him giving way his drink and the food. It is the fact that these were all he had in this world.

As a street boy, depending on the mercy of passersby for your survival is not easy. When you get lucky today, the next day may be a completely different story. Yet he gave it all!

It’s funny how the people who have absolutely nothing, are the most generous and kind. Perhaps it’s because they know how it feels to have nothing.

Joseph taught me that life may not always be fair, but that shouldn’t stop you from extending an act of kindness. I have not seen Joseph until this day, but my day spent with him taught me lessons that are so precious and I will hold them dear to my heart. I wish I could have done more for this young man and all the children like him. But at that time, that was all I could do. What can you do to help someone else?

I have learnt that the simplest act of kindness can impact your entire life. We live in a world where millions of people especially children are being affected by poverty. Instead of complaining and pointing fingers, what can you do to

change the situation? DO WHAT YOU CAN WHEN YOU CAN.

Pro 19:17

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.