Ronald, 18, graduated from the Shelter carpentry program in December and now works in a carpentry workshop in Kenya's capital city. The skills he learned at the Shelter allow him to support himself.
You know how the old saying goes: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Ronald learned how to fish during his time at Shelter -- but he also learned how to build.
When Ronald's mother died in 2011, poverty forced the 13-year-old boy to the streets. Living on the streets, he spent his days begging and searching for food. For years, he lived in constant fear of hunger, and of the beatings he would often receive from the local police.
“I started using drugs because my friends were using them,” Ronald told a Shelter social worker, “then I was able to sleep and not be afraid.”
Eventually, Ronald was referred to Naivasha Children's Shelter, where he chose to pursue carpentry. Ronald lived at the Shelter for two years while he learned all the skills he would need to support himself.
Immediately upon graduation, Ronald was offered a job in Gikomba--one of Nairobi's largest markets. Now 18, he spends his days in a busy workshop making furniture, and is able to support himself. He has rented a small house in a neighborhood in the city.
"I learned from Shelter how to be independent," he told Shelter staff who came to visit him at the workshop.
"I'm so grateful for the education I received and the tools they provided."
Six boys will graduate from the carpentry program this year. Would you consider partnering with us to give one of these boys the supplies he needs?
A one-time donation of $100 can provide one of our carpentry graduates with a set of tools that they can use to begin their own business.