Story

Joel's Journey of Possibility

Around 300,000 children in Kenya are homeless, driven out by family breakdown, neglect, abuse, or poverty. They’re shunned and overlooked by society.

But not by us.

Our partner, Kenya Sunshine, comes alongside street children, providing them with a safe place to sleep, counselling, spiritual support and access to education.

Once they finish school, your support helps the young adults on their pathways to productive work. Keep reading to learn about Joel’s journey of possibility.

Joel at college studying plumbing and masonry

"Life changed when I started college. I had hope that my life would be better."

The sun is just starting to rise over the town of Naivasha, Kenya, and like many others, Joel is getting ready for the day. He picks up his tools and makes his way to work full of excitement. It is his first day on a construction job.

It’s hard to believe that only seven years ago, Joel dreaded waking up each day. Living on the streets was incredibly tough, and he just wanted to forget.

Now, thanks to your support and Joel’s hard work, his future is bright and full of possibility.

A challenging start in life

At a young age, Joel sadly lost his mother and was then forced to leave his father’s home by his stepmother, who did not care for him.

For a brief period, Joel managed to earn a little income herding goats but eventually found himself homeless in Naivasha town.

Finding safety

In 2018, Joel met a sub-county Children’s Officer who told him about the Sunshine Centre. “I had a hopeless life, but I could see God had intervened on my behalf.” When he arrived, the staff provided him with food and drink, and showed him where he could sleep.

Since that day, Joel has never spent another night on the streets.

Completing his education

Joel had been out of school for a full year when he came to Kenya Sunshine. With help from our partners, he was able to get back into school and complete his education.

Thanks to your support of our Next Generation Projects, Joel attended college to study Plumbing and Masonry. “Life changed when I started college. I had hope that my life would be better.”

During his last year of college, Joel received a set of tools through your Spark funding. These tools played a crucial role in opening doors for Joel to gain work experience on construction sites.

A home of his own

One of Joel’s first projects was at the Sunshine Centre, where he helped to construct rainwater harvesting reservoirs. The earnings he received were enough that he could rent a small home. This was a key milestone for Joel as it was the first time that he had his own place to live.

Building a sustainable livelihood

Since then, Joel has secured job after job and as a result has built a wealth of experience and a strong network of contacts, which will enable him to find more work in the future.

With his monthly income, he can cover his rent and all his expenses, and he even has some money left over to put towards savings. Outside of work, Joel regularly attends Church and loves sports, particularly football.

Joel is well on his way to building a sustainable livelihood for himself, and you helped make that possible.

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