Tough life for Kenya's street children

They look tired, hungry and rugged. These are the street families in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

Nicknamed Chokora in Swahili, it’s a tough life for these children who loiter on the streets which they call home.

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Going by statistics, there could be up to 60,000 of such children in Nairobi alone.

Some children are pushed onto the streets following the death of parents, sometimes due to HIV/AIDS, or after running away from violence at home. Others live on the streets simply because their families are too poor to look after them.

Abandoned by the state, several charities offer help. One such centre is the Rescue Dada Centre.

“It is like a society with rules and regulations, and in that society there is a leader who asks each and every one what they have brought,” said Mary Gatitu, Director at the Rescue Dada Centre.

The centre which has been operational for over 20 years has been supporting street girls to build a better life away from the streets.

For these kids, engaging in normal activity associated with children their age is perhaps all they wish for.

AFP