Poverty is something that we are still dealing with as a country. Around 35.5% of Kenya’s population is living below the poverty line. Most of them if not all live in the slums because that’s the only place they can afford to get housing at a cheap price considering the fact that they don’t have much. Some who are unable to afford to live in the slums, unfortunately, end up in the streets.

You’ll find a mother with her children in the streets eating leftovers and whatever she can get with her kids. I know some of you might ask why she’s not gone to look for a job? Why is she letting her children suffer with her on the streets? It’s not that easy seeing your children suffering and having no means of being able to help them. Every parent wants to see their children happy and living normal lives.

These parents have tried all they can and ended up not being able to provide for their kids. After all, we know it’s not everyone who’s always willing to help except for some of you with good hearts and pure intentions and those kinds of people are hard to come by. Due to these reasons, parents we see on the streets end up staying in the streets and asking for help from passersby.

I’m not a mother but I can imagine just how painful it is knowing your child is lacking and you have nothing to offer them or a means to provide for them. Knowing that she can’t leave her children with anyone, she lives with them on the streets where we know it’s not safe or healthy or a good environment for a child in any way but that’s all she can do.

I’m mostly talking about mothers because let us be honest, have you ever seen a father with his children on the streets? I don’t think so. Mothers are the backbones of every family and whatever happens, they never abandon their children even if it means suffering with them. Because we know how cruel the world can be and if you don’t look after your own, no one else will. This is why you’ll find these mothers with their children on the streets and if you haven’t been through what they have then I don’t think you have a reason to judge them for how they live.

A parent’s great joy is seeing their children happy, healthy, getting good education among other things. Seeing that the parents on the streets can’t provide these, I know they’ll be filled with joy if someone decided to help by maybe deciding to take their children to school or giving them a home and food.

At smile community , we try as much as possible to be that God sent angel to these parents in the streets. That is why we also rescue vulnerable children from the streets. We take their children and provide for them all their necessities and give them a chance for a better future.

You may not be in a position to carry the weight like us, but you can be that angel by supporting our mission in your little way, be that miracle to that parent out there who might be mentally ill struggling with children in the streets. The best feeling of happiness is when you’re happy because you’ve made somebody else happy, always remember this.

Written By : Mourine Kirigho
Published by : Peter Wafula