In January 2023, we piloted our Street Outreach Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Over the last year we have built a community where street youth feel seen, cared for and loved.
Across Africa, it is estimated that there are over 30 million children living in street situations, struggling to survive and without opportunities to improve their lives. Many of these young girls and boys sought refuge on the streets to escape neglect, domestic abuse, and poverty. Unfortunately, they end up in a worse situation and are vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, drug abuse and human trafficking.
When Future of Africa began tackling this problem, we envisioned transforming the lives of all youth facing this situation not just in Ghana but the continent and beyond. In the last decade, we have defined a model that rescues youth from street life and equips them with life and job skills they need to thrive. And over the past year, we expanded our impact by launching a pilot street outreach program in Nairobi, led by passionate young Kenyans dedicated to transforming the lives of street youth.
This has been possible through the efforts of Mary Sinaida, who is leading the street outreach team in Nairobi and inspiring hope among street youth. While studying in Ghana, she participated in our street outreach for several months. After graduating, she committed to a four-month internship, eager to learn and understand our culture and the intricacies of our work. She returned back home to Kenya in January 2023 and has since replicated our street outreach model meeting street-youth where they are, walking alongside them, and mentoring them to redirect their lives.
Building a Community in Nairobi's Central Business District
Mary and her team kicked off this initiative by visiting various hotspots in the city where young boys and girls lived on the streets. Through these visits and casual conversations, they identified areas where they could begin outreach, focusing on locations with a high number of youths living independently in street situations. In the early days, the youth were skeptical, and many did not interact with team members. Among the street youth they wondered, “Who are these people? What do they want? Will they disappear like the others?" Are they here for us or for themselves? Despite their hesitations the team remained consistent, showing up every weekend and learning the names of every youth that was curious enough to join the outreach.
The team had a breakthrough when they connected with a street leader who not only welcomed the street outreach initiative but also facilitated access to the youth. He was trusted amongst his peers and since he approved of the team members the youth begun to engage more. He reassured his friends that they were in safe hands and this moment changed everything. They began to open up about their stories, their hopes and dreams.
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Since joining street outreach, I have realised I am stronger than my struggles, and my story is not over yet.
From then on, the team returned to Nairobi’s Central Business District every week, sometimes twice, checking on the youth, continuing to build friendships, and offering a sense of hope by showing them that someone truly cared. Regardless of the weather or season, the team showed up proving that their commitment was genuine.
Street Outreach Activities and Impact
In March 2023, the team settled on engaging children and youth living on the street at Grogon, and every Saturday afternoon they met at Michuki Park. Each week, we hang out with over 50 boys and girls, talking about anything and everything that matters—like staying healthy, building good friendships, staying away from drugs, and making choices that will positively affect them. These conversations are equipping the youth with knowledge and giving them a sense of belonging and purpose. By creating a safe space where the youth felt seen, heard, and supported the team has built a community.
At outreach we share a hot meal with the street youth, provide first aid to minor injuries, and support the girls with sanitary and hygiene products. The team also organized clothing drives and gave out clothes, jackets and blankets to ensure street youth could keep warm, when the weather dropped below 12 degrees Celsius. Our care didn’t stop on the weekends. The team responded to health emergencies and stood with the community when street youth unfortunately lost their lives, through sickness or tragic events like a flood. This compassionate action brought comfort and solidified the bond between the youth and the team.
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I thought I lost my child forever, but FOA has changed things.
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Future of Africa has brought back not just my child, but also my hope.
Despite the Future of Africa Kenya team focusing on only street outreach they have made some strides in facilitating youth getting off the street. When the youth trusted the team, they shared their real names, home locations, and even family contacts. This enabled the team to trace their families and help us support them in returning home. Today, 10 youths have successfully been reunited with their families and are now off the street. Reaching out to their families was a deeply emotional process. Some parents and guardians were relieved and overjoyed to reconnect, while others, heartbreakingly, refused to take their children back. Each reunification required careful planning, ensuring that returning home was a viable and safe option. Since February 2024, the outreach team has been on the street every weekend sharing over 2,300 meals connecting with over 70 street youth. This year we are registering Future of Africa Kenya as an NGO, so we begin the work of transforming the lives of children and youth living on the street in Kenya