Last Friday I had the incredible opportunity to visit some very special boys. These guys ranging in age from 4 to 16 are no strangers to me. Not too long ago they were our next door neighbors and before that, they were all living on the streets. These are the boys that were before referred to as the “street boys.” I have known them for over a year now and have seen a remarkable change in their lives. You may remember a past update where I told of them cooking me dinner one night in their home. Among these boys are Duncan and Kevin who used to help me tend my garden. We spent countless hours in our cul-de-sac playing games and just spending time together. I have so many great memories of time spent with the boys. In December, the boys were moved out to a boys’ center located about 45 minutes away. We have missed them greatly since then, and our neighborhood has never been the same. Even though we felt their absence, we had to trust that they were in a much better place. Finally we got to see them thriving in this new environment.
They are now residing in the Ndugu Mdogo Children’s Home. For those non-Swahili speakers out there, “Ndugu Mdogo” means “Little Brothers.” There are currently 30 boys living here in a large new facility. The home is broken down into 3 families, each with a mom and a dad that have adopted 10 boys each. Each family stays together in a 4 bedroom apartment within the center. All the boys now go to school nearby and are doing well. They look so healthy and happy!
Upon arrival, we were greeted by all 30 boys rushing out to meet the van. For at least 10 minutes they hugged us and held onto us greeting us over and over again…not really sure how to handle all the excitement. They then escorted us into the home and each boy wanted to show us his bedroom, which bed he sleeps in, his school uniform, the bathroom (complete with hot showers!), the family room equipped with a huge table for family meals, the laundry room, the kitchen…needless to say, we got the complete tour! J They were so proud of their new home. Since all these boys were orphaned at a very young age, this is the only real home they’ve ever had.
We had a great afternoon singing songs with them, teaching a Bible lesson, watching them perform their songs for us, playing soccer, and watching the acrobatics that developed at a nearby construction site with a large mountain of sand. It did my heart good to see them happy, healthy, and well taken care of. They are being brought up in a Christian home by parents that love them as their own kids.
