Support 30 young people off the streets of Mombasa

Dearest friends,

As I write to you it has been another exciting three months at Glad's House. For this report I hope you don’t mind me sharing with you something a little different. Instead of sharing an individuals story, I want to share how the support you are giving to individuals feeds into our organisational ‘bigger picture’ and enables these amazing young men to advocate for lasting change for their friends still on the streets.

A key part of our work at Glad's House is to advocate for change, particularly change within the criminal justice system and how it currently criminalises the children and young people we support for being homeless. As part of this Advocacy Work we deliver two-day workshops to the Inspectorate Department of Mombasa County Government looking at issues of Child Rights, Child Protection and Street Children.  The aim of the training is to challenge the current discrimination of street children and build links between the County Government, the Department of Children's Services, Glad's House and, most importantly, children and young people living on the streets. We want to work together to make lasting positive change in Mombasa. Last week we delivered two more of these courses

Part of this training involves some of our young men sharing their experiences of street life and what it feels like to be arrested and incarcerated for being homeless. These young men so eloquently and bravely shared their experiences of life on the streets and so boldly challenged those who persecute and discriminate against them most on the streets.

One young man that you support who spoke last week was imprisoned 22 times at the age of only 21 - his only crime in each of these incarcerations is being homeless... Just take a moment to process that - in prison 22 times for being homeless!! His words and the words of his peers are more powerful than ours can ever be and clearly made a huge impact on those who arrest and persecute them.

So on behalf of all the children and young people we are advocating for change for – thank you – without your support we would be unable to create opportunities to empower these inspirational young men to share their own experiences and to advocate for change for ALL children and young people on the streets! 

Watch this space for more progress soon!! If you have ANY questions about our work, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me!

Thanks again!

Vicky

*names have been changed and faces hidden for safeguarding reasons

Well it's been another busy three months at Glad's House and we are so excited to share with you another story of one of our amazing young men who you have supported to transform his life. Meet Tom.

Tom was born in 1998. His Parents separated when he was still very young. Tom was living with his Mother and Step Father but in 2006, when Tom was 8 years old, the relationship broke down and Tom ran away to the streets. However his Father heard about his son living on the streets and at that time, Tom moved in with his Dad.

Over the next 9 years Tom was returned to different family homes SIX times by Organisations – his Mothers, his Fathers and his Grandmothers. Each time he was placed home, the adults in his life let him down and he returned to the streets of Mombasa. Each time more damage was caused to his self esteem and mental well being.

At 17, Tom was surviving by parking cars in Mombasa city centre. He got to know Glad’s House Outreach Team who conduct street work, street soccer and sessions at our Drop In Centre. Tom had a dream of finishing his education – he had been to so many schools over his 9 years of insecurity but he was focused on joining the Army and to do that, he knew he had to finish Secondary School.

We saw the drive Tom had to change his life and so he moved into our Transitional Home - "Half London' that you pay for. He worked hard to work through the pain of six failed ‘reunifications’ and to find a happy medium where he could rebuild a relationship with his Family from a far. Our Team worked incredibly hard to secure Tom a birth certificate so that in December 2015 he could sit for his Primary School Certificate – he scored 270, a VERY respectable mark; we were all incredibly proud of him.

Because of your support Tom is now studying at Secondary School and is a step closer to achieving his dream of joining the Army. Last month Tom also competed in the National Junior Boxing Championships for the Coast Region!

Without your support Tom would still be on the streets, without hope for a positive future – now he has a Primary School Certificate and is on his way to securing a Secondary School education. Tom’s future is bright because of your support!

So from me, the Team and of course Tom, thank you!

ps A favour - This programme is ongoing and Tom's friends who are still on the streets need our support to change their lives and have a brighter future too. Please share Tom's story with your friends and encourage them to support us! THANK YOU!