Theresa Glaser

Mission Focus:

Preparing street children, children from impoverished communities, orphans, or other vulnerable children to enter Kenya’s formal education system.

There are many reasons why there is a large population of “street children” living in Kitale, as well as as in other cities in Kenya, but if a single underlying reason could be identified, it would be to escape problems at home that have been provoked by poverty. Alcoholism, abuse, lack of food, lack of living space, and parents unable to cope are some of the factors that send children to try life on the streets. Some go willingly; others are forced. Adding to the impetus to risk life on the street is the fact that most young men undergo circumcision rites at the onset of adolescence. Having been taught that they have entered adulthood, they believe that they will be able to cope.

The harsh realities of street life result in a myriad of greater problems and risks: addiction to drugs and or glue-sniffing, hunger, illness, and exploitation. A younger child can be dominated and exploited by an older child. In some cases, clashes with police and shop owners can cause physical harm.

The ministry in which I participate as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner is the St John Bosco Rehabilitation Center. This is an informal school whose goal is to rescue young children from a life on the street or those who are at risk of trying such a life due to extreme poverty. SJBRC prepares the students for entry into the formal school system of Kenya. When first admitted, most have never been to school before; nearly all are deficient in basic life skills and self-care.

At the start, the challenges to staff presented by the needs of these children are many. And, because my ministry began in the second term last year, this is my first experience of observing the challenges of the newly admitted. But the challenges faced by the staff are nothing compared with those that our children have faced in their short lives.

Noah (fictional name) is 8 years old. His family lives in one of the notoriously poor “informal settlements” near Kitale. At his young age, Noah had already gone to the streets, primarily begging for food or money to help his family survive. He had foraged in a nearby dump site for scraps of plastic or aluminum that can be sold for a few shillings. The income of his parents, casual laborers, could only provide one meal a day for the family of six. And, just recently, Noah lost his brother, older by a few years: killed on the street.

Descriptions of the home lives of our students are troubling, confounding. But working alongside the SJBRC staff, dedicated to providing our students with the opportunity to change the pattern of their lives, the vision of their future brings hope and peace.

Motivation for Mission:

The love Jesus expressed for the poor and vulnerable of the world.

Holy ground. These words are what come to me when I look out over the campus of the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center near Kitale in Kenya, where I am serving as a Maryknoll lay missioner. SJBRC, a project of the Diocese of Kitale, is a place of rescue for young children from a life of extreme poverty; children at risk of a life on the streets; children most definitely at risk of a future in which everything is focused on mere survival. Many are from families of the Turkana tribe, a nomadic group who, in the harsh environment of northern Kenya, have been forced to move south and now live in informal settlements, without opportunities for earning a living.

Fifty-seven children between the approximate ages of 8 and 12, selected though careful interviews and home visits by social workers, first arrive at the center often needing instruction in the most basic tasks involving personal care and hygiene. During the week, they live in dormitories and attend informal school with the aim of preparing them for entry into the formal Kenyan school system. On weekends, they return to their families or to an identified guardian if the child is an orphan.

Have you ever seen a pencil, sharpened at both ends and used to the size of a nub? Have you seen a rubber eraser worn to a size so small that small fingers can barely grasp it? I never had. I have been a teacher in American schools for 36 years and I had never given a thought to the value of something so small when one has nothing.

At first glance, there are no apparent luxuries to be found here. Squat toilets serve both students and staff. Functioning electricity is not guaranteed. Wifi is not available. Children have only one school uniform and it is their task to hand wash their own clothing. When the midday bell rings, children first run to the dorms to perform chores before being summoned to the lunchroom.

But the luxuries that are present are a structured, stable, God-centered environment, and the education and impetus for integration into Kenyan formal schools. And there are opportunities and role models. The two informal teachers presently employed at SJBRC were, themselves, rescued as young children and went on to complete post-secondary school training as educators. The social worker and intern, also, from humble beginnings moved through the system to successful, professional employment. Still others are currently attending medical school and other higher education institutions.

Holy ground. Working alongside of a dedicated staff with a heart and vision for the very poor, I know it is my blessing to be here; to be allowed to participate in the day-to-day shaping of a future for our children at the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center.