This week, we got to experience a very exciting reunion for one of the boys in our care.

When Titus was a young boy, his parents separated and while he first went to stay with his father and stepmother, after some time his maternal grandmother removed him from the father’s home and cut all contact with family members on his father’s side.

While living with his grandmother, Titus began to be influenced by older boys near his home and eventually went to the streets, where he was picked up by police and referred to Shelter by the children’s office in November 2019.

After our social work team diligently traced Titus’s family, they were able to connect with his paternal grandparents and last month, Titus visited with them for the first time in years. They knew where his father was staying and promised to arrange a visit soon.

When we began implementing the government directives regarding the coronavirus last week, Titus was absolutely thrilled to learn that he would be going to spend time with his grandparents. Upon arrival to the home, his grandfather informed us that Titus’s father was traveling from another area of Kenya so that he could see his son for the first time in almost 8 years. He arrived shortly thereafter and Titus and his father were both grinning from ear to ear. They are excited to spend the upcoming weeks together and work towards a permanent reunion in the near future.

Titus has a smile that lights up any room, and today it shone even brighter. Thanks to our incredible team for their hard work in these stressful times (and always!) that makes stories like this possible.

New Normal

How We're Staying Safe at Shelter During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 virus has changed our regular rhythms at Shelter. As of today, Kenya has only confirmed 15 cases of the virus, but our government has issued important directives to citizens to prevent it from spreading further. Here's what is happening in Kenya:

All schools have been suspended until further notice.
Public gatherings of any kind are being discouraged.
Public transportation like buses and matatus have been given passenger limits and are required to sanitize and provide sanitizer to passengers.
Child care institutions such as ours have been directed to send as many children as possible back to their homes.
Citizens are being urged to practice social distancing and good hygiene habits.

These are the measures we've taken at Shelter:

Per the government directive, we returned 14 boys to their homes in personal vehicles last week.
All non-essential staff will be working from home until further notice and will continue to support our families with frequent phone follow-ups.
For the essential staff and boys who remain at Shelter, we've installed handwashing stations and are practicing extra hygiene and sanitizing measures.
No visitors will be allowed at Shelter during this time. Any support staff (i.e. security personnel) who enter our grounds will be required to wash and sanitize themselves before coming on duty.

How Are We Doing?

We are all doing well at Shelter and because of our location, we are at a very low risk of the virus affecting us here. We have 14 boys and 5 staff remaining at this time. With limited staff, our transition and academic programs are on hold, but we are engaging in many creative activities with the boys. They have really enjoyed painting with watercolors, playing sports, and watching movies. We are also using this time to work on various projects around our campus.

Our spirits are high and we are grateful for our safety and health in these uncertain times. We are also continuing to monitor the situation on the streets, and are ready to step in when help is needed.

How You Can Help

In addition to our ongoing rescue and rehabilitation work, we are actively working to help support boys who are still living on the street as well as those boys who have returned home. Because of the virus, these already vulnerable populations are at more risk than ever and we are committed to getting as many as we can back to their homes and out of harm's way.

Please consider a one-time or recurring monthly gift to help support us as we continue this very important work.