 is a relatively new term commonly used to refer to individuals living on the streets or being of the streets. It is a very common phenomenon in cities all over the world. In Kenya alone, according to a report of research carried out in 2022, it is estimated over 300,000 Kenyans are living on the streets commonly referred to as street families. In our quest to get an understanding of these people, we are privileged to meet one inspirational gentleman who has spent quite some time with his families. They call him their saviour, a friend and a brother. kwa geni, kwa chaina, jima japan, no na, nami kwa me to help sa na bado kikimavazi, biakula, maombi, kwa shipki asi, bado ma gonjo gonjo tukum tani ziki tokia li kwa bado na insif, no na, kakuna ma rei mo ali kwa na, diya limpa niya kuja nge apa li dedi ingi, diya li pa niya katitu kajuana na e, ali shubu li ka, e no tu na meni sana beni ali kwa meni nga kwa tumemi sana joutu kashindoko niya li yanda katu wachani siya ma rada, e but na pupuku kai, mengi tumemi pa niya na e. So my name is Michael Omahula. I come from Siihaya but I was raised up in Kibera slums. So for about tha 13 years that I was living in Kibera primary school And people have been brought up in the slums. I always desired to one time give back to the community because I know how the situation is, what it means sometimes to sleep hungry, what it means to go to school and not to go to school because of lack of school face. So as I was growing up, there was this in a desire for me to want to make a difference in other people's lives. So I lost my dad at the age of, I was around 14 years when I got here. I went to form one and then first term was second term, the first week of second term my dad passed on. So it was such a challenge. I had to relocate, go live with my auntie. She passed on the following year. So I thought my life was like coming to a standstill. It was like everything was crumbling down. But I encouraged myself. I remember the words of my dad like you can make it, you have all that it takes. So I went through high school. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go to college because of the humble background that I came from. It was a situation where everybody for himself and then God for us all. But I gave my life to Christ and when I joined some groups in church, I was able to start reaching out to people, trying to talk to them, trying to encourage them, pray with them, cancel them, mentor them. And this is how now the vision came. For the longest time I was doing sales and marketing after high school. I was like selling socks, door to door. You go to supermarkets outside, you stop people, sell to them whatever you have. For seven good years it was such a humbling experience. So what really made me want to work with the street people, I used to sometimes sell at Kenyatta Market, outside Kenyatta Market and there were a lot of street people there at the parking. And a good number of them were now friends because we were always there. So I would engage them from time to time. And I was always very disturbed with their situation. You would find some of them were on drugs, some of them were so bright but you're looking at them and it's like they've really wasted away. They have no one to probably just hold them and take them to their next level. And that really used to disturb me a lot. So in my final year of doing sales, when I knew now my time was really over because I used to pray a lot and I knew I would be there for a particular time. So when that time came I knew it's time to get to something else. We know where next. So one of the boys he was so helpless, he was being beaten up, there was nothing he could do, he was bleeding and that really disturbed me. So it was around three o'clock, I just took my marchandise bag, I put them in my bag and I left. Like that was literally my last day in the field of doing sales and all that. And then I remembered I was to be there for seven years, it was already seven years so it was about time. God allowed that to happen to let me know that it's time to go to another level. So I went to church, I prayed, I asked God exactly what He wanted me to do and if there is a way that this street people can change, it was such a burden because I said if God changes people, I would want to see one life transformed, and then I started asking myself how do I involve myself in this process because God is a spirit and He uses human beings to be a blessing to others. So in the course of my prayer and meditation, I founded a community-based organization, but slightly before that I worked with another charitable children's institution where I was working as a caretaker and social worker and the children that we were dealing with were children that were coming from disadvantaged backgrounds in the light of streets children and orphans and those from very poor backgrounds. So I got that experience of working with the street kids in that children's home. I was there for about seven years and it's from that that I developed the passion of wanting to start something of my own and to impact lives. So my coming to this base, this particular base because street families they usually have their base like where they usually put up a group of them. So there's one boy who was in that children's home so this boy went back to the streets and some years later I met him in the street and I was so disturbed with the situation because he was in a very, very bad shape. So I talked to him and wanted to know exactly where his base is, how I can help him. So he's the one who told me that he's in this particular base, Kayole, just next to this Dawabu Primary School. They are a group of them. So when I came looking for him, a friend of his from this base actually helped me to locate him because during daytime they are always moving around so sometimes it's very difficult to get a hold of them. But thankfully I was able to locate him and from that time I started coming like once in two months time to visit him and try to see how I can help him out. So then I realized that they are a big group if I bring food for him, there are several of them. So I started engaging friends and like-minded individuals and organizations to help us reach out to these young people. So the project that I founded is the MIG Foundation. It's a community-based organization and our objective is just to bring a change to the lives of these youths and children who are coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Kwa majina mi na itwa Sampson Silasengo. Mi mi na 4th born kwa familia wa toto saba na tuliyachotu kwa wa dogwa zin tuliyachotu kwa ofans. 2015 wakatimai kwa likuja apa base akatu pata base na even though nili kwa mulevi lakini ali angali akua watu utena niya kwa soba kwa nani mi ni kwa soba takama nili kwa mulevi. So akani ongeleisha likuja kwa mikuja kutafutaki ja namba esa easy ni marehemu ali kufatu iya zago so ali kwa mikuja kwa ngali oki ja na jiyo ki ja na ali kwa meto kakwa wana of the project zenye maika li kwa nafanya zaku perekawa toto shule so maika kanulizama ali akua ni kwa utafutawiyo ki ja na ni kwa pata ni kwa nesha na na maik na even di otu kwa jiyo na na maik na maika kanzaku kujapa base maika me kwa misa da kubuasa na kue tuku kwa sababu maik inspirations zake na bitua me kwa kikuja na tuongelesha na tuombia zili fanya so anguika funguka ni kwa chaku wana iyo chakula jo ali isi kushinda kitu ambia mi na alatia chakula satade but Sunday na Monday metafanya ni ni you need to think you need to be somebody you need to do this so na ni kwa kikuja fikiri asana maika na ni ambia na with time iyo kitu ni kaya absorb na ni angu na ni kawana I should think something which is different so vile maika liyandelia kukuja na kukuja na marafiki waka ni kwa na wengini ata mimi ni mkubuaku wa liko but wiki wanga liya they are somewhere in life ni kajuli zambona mimi na hawa wana bitu ambili sisi wote tu kuna kichu wamoja I can do something better unona kue vosa sa ni kanza kungangana ni kanza kuliza maik kama mimi na yaza kwa employed mimi na yaza patakazim mimi na yaza further education yangu mimi kwa mgunili kwanona so everything is completely highway zekani lakini maika kani onesha the possibility of it all na from there ni kanza kua kituwa it's my dream ya kukuja bak to the community kua sa idea Honestly speaking when Samson tells me that he was once a street child I had a very hard time believing his words he was too good to be tuned and I seek to know more nilingi ya kwa street na nilingi ya paliba station penya saizi DOCBD so apondia tu li kwa tunafani kazi etu ya u street na haiku wa rahisi kwa sababu ni li kwa namutatom dogo ni li kwa ni kwa a child-headed family jumi mi ni kwa around 10 yaza sistan kwa kwa one and a half years na wu omuginem dogo kwa 2 days old so ni kanga nga na now atuku pata well na wisha so atu aneza kuja putushi kama kono at that time so tukanga nga na tukatoka town tukakuja dandora dump site tukadandora dump site ni ni li anza sasa kuka ni kama mitu ana grom tumanyana chunga family tukanga nga na na maisha ngumu ngumu ngumu and ikafika place tukatoka tena ukodandora tukakuja kuishi kaiolen kaiolen kakutana na street family suengine tukawa nga na now at that time ni li kwa na tumia drugs vibaya sana juki kuja kufika 1998 sikuana weza kuji inua na sikuata speech angu li kwe meharebi kwa sikuana weza kufanya anything kwa sababu oredi ni li kwa ni meshatumia drugs mingi sana so kutoka apo mungutu umzuri in 2000 nika pata well nika yubisha manya li nichi upua kufanya venya atafanya iniyon weza kuishi Maisha akawa hida watatu eitu naładoga kachikulimu wukawa karen na mamamungine aa kendelia kuishi nawao ui mumaa kani sa idea nisha mamanya menichi upua kani sa idea kani perleka hospitalia gakan nika tenge nezo nika tenge nezo nika wukawa gakan fodri ideas lakini siatini li kwa mugunjuu ilikwa anaj Legends kikiwa mataklifu na maataklifu, mihala wana niha kwa wana kawana. Kutani niha kwa mataklifu na maataklifu na maataklifu na maataklifu, mihala niha kwa wana kawana. Kutani niha kwa wana kwa wana kawana. Miri tuko joining kwa para wana kutani na maataklifi, ito kwa m UXza, na maamiko na kina nakuha na maisme, kutani niha kwa wana kutani na maa meaning. Tossi ya netaka开始 maataklifi hojida kiliza kwen, hani kujaleli na kwa nama punakuhu ce nyadi hani impu nimi i' nipunikaltu hina na m mozzarella kutufi na moka, kufu kufu nimi kutufu hina hongu niwa waka k puesto, nyadgusti Sam Sam na kudinati niwa ini hamama kwenakuhu hingi niwa na makupu So kwaul, te send such our souls to their streets. Wright da waulu wa jia wa luri dwee motorcycle Ya weiji, katiai tomatoesi Do mita na na naka 예쁘 ubon ubon penda kubadirika kus life yangu kutokontotawani ni meishi kuliya, ni meishi ya ni niko crack the heart sija ipa tayo relationship ya love, karibu na mimi ni mekwatu na madisapointement, madisapointement, madisapointement sindo nili kujanga sa satukiwa bez, tukitulia, tukitulia, tukiwa tunasam satukiwa yo harakatiya bez, sasa mimi toa tambo na penda usafi, ji okulelewa boarding school so niki bez kamaivi sa ungeona viombu ziki wachafuivi nakuja nazi osha, nazi ekamali pamoja na wambia renda wa letema soul alafu na wambia no donation, no eating sasa tu na donate do kila meten ya konayo na ingiya jikoni na pika chakula smart, chakula safi, viombu ni safi maali tunalala tuna isini pa safi ata wala wageni wana kututembelewa wana pata pana kachenchi ki yasi koawatu so introduction inato kakwa wengine mama etu yundia na fanya tukueivi so apondetuluku janga sasa siju piya sama liyo nangayo bidi yango wama ni lafasa sawa na ume ni wengi bez sasa una sinuta penda nani na ni uta penda na uta wana kutaka sasa ni kiwatu na ninawa minimiza pona kubonga na ujuwi ni wala watu kubonga na mituna penda soma piya ni mitu taipu gani si bez titu, lazima wana ni mitu taipu gani na bendeza sa ti daya na amamuzi so kwa yo harakati ni kiwatu angama ksu ni kiwatu angama ksu mi ni kudia ni kauna undium samdi umzuri sabubu kudia kuna wengine na nama soma kia si ene mi sina ako na bidi ni mua understanding ata kikuda drugs aharashi mu tu simtu vita hiani so mi ni kauna ndia na ni fa maik has gain so much experience serving the nili in society especially street families He has acquired a sense of knowledge and understanding. Personally, if God did it for me because I was brought up in the slums and I know what it means to really luck, and God has elevated me to this level, I know that even the street people, their lives can transform. They are very important people before the eyes of God. If we reach out to them, sometimes we fear them so much, we look at them as thugs, we look at them as drug addicts, we don't want to really get even anywhere closer to them because of maybe, I think I would call it stereotyping because sometimes there's a lot of stereotypes. Years before street people were known to be very violent, if you go to town they would ask you for money, if you don't give them then they'll do the necessary, it is to be very ugly. At these ones we've been able to work with them and I can say for sure they are very disciplined and they are good people. We do fellowships with them, we pray with them, whenever we come we do feed in programs and we also pray with them. We sing, we praise, they are like the amazing people. We are very good people through traffic here at ZDL, I am a single mother. My life has always been like that, when I was at the bed of roses, there were challenges, there were ups and downs. Namusli mimi pandiangu neza sema, the ups asi kuwaga pia mingi, the downs doze ni kuwaga mingi. So after mzei kupas, ikakwa na challenges most. Niki experience pia, kwa saa pia, education pia neza. Kama boys amam toiwa, mtaani vila neza kwa saa kwen na shule ni ni, but by Gracia God, nili have kumaliza 8. Nili pata sponsorship na pifadon home, nika kuja nika maliza gaio 8. So after 8, mamba ikakwa isi mamba, mamba iliche muka vilem nasemanga. So, apundi yo nika kagamtaani, semi twizu 2 years, nika kagamtaani, apu kiyamtaani, ono na watu ingi na kienda chuwa, wewa wupomtaani, so ingi na jitingi aereya, ono na ili, kuna kale kaibu flani, ono na bejaribu kufichi ono na, juja fika ga kwen daga chuwa. So, apu kiyuwa ga 2 palemtaani, ono jiyuwa ga 2 stories abes, nama boys pia, kunu kwa na beste hangu, childhood friend 2, alikam, akani oniisha e, beste hangu nonaga, awenda gi chuwa, lakini, kuna vilemi neza kwa kolea kama bestea. So, kuna, chuwa e tui na kwa gankame kwa sponsored, na uneza kwa muendo jibongi, ono na kama uneza sayidi ka, yosa sana niya fika ga mtaani niya kambili. So, mii at first nili ichikuli ya positively, ju nili embrace nili kwa na ili hope, kuna kwa ga na kale ka hope, kwa konda niya kwa kajakufaga. Yohopu na nili ichikuli ya, positivli pande hangu nika sema, bacha nii give it a shot. Abundi yosa sana nii kata kwa interested, na kitua nili kwa na nii ambiya, abundu nika, nika, nika have kutaga kuju wa mingiku su, ili story ali kwa shanzakuni guzisha ya. Abo guni guzisha ya, guzisha kwa story ya kani ambiya, uke kwa chuwa e tu kuna mga mma esma mi ya na ituwa, na ituwa mic. Na uke yenda apo, ongi ya nae, ana zaku fa niya mawili matatu, uka pate kwingi ya chuwa. Elim chuwa apo, from apo, aka ni peleka ga chuwa, aka ni esma miya kila kitu, aka ni li piya kila kila nini kwenita kikana, fom 1, fom 2, baka fom 4, sasainisha ma liza. With my experience while interacting with social workers, I've come to understand that it is never that easy. Mic has had his share of challenges, but what keeps him going? I can say for sure that every task has its own fair share of challenges and like this particular mission of reaching out to this street family, sometimes it's so involving because it needs a lot of sacrifice when it comes to time, when it comes to resources, because for the longest time I used to just use my own like little finances to buy food because they knew that every Saturday mic and friends would be coming. So sometimes I would reach out to friends and you find some of them are not so stable even financially. They are not like in stable work so it and we still have to come, you see. So sometimes I would go out of my way just to ensure that the little that we have, we give them, even if it's not like so much, so it's not enough to take care of all of them. So my main motivation actually, first of all was because I being an eternal optimist and a Christian that I am, I always know that God changes people and then God uses people to change other people. So I told God I want to be that vessel for you to use to bring an impact to the life of these people because you use people and I'm available. So because it is his task, it is God who gave me that vision. It was a God given vision. So it is him who knows how he will take care of the needs. I tell him God now we are together in this and you are the chief financier. So I am just a vessel that you want to use to reach out to these people. So that was my main motivation that I'm not doing it alone and God, I always pray and tell God now can you connect with the right people so that we get this work done. All these individuals have got something to say about Mike and there's this one thing they want their hero to know. Kwa sababum, for sure Mike ameni leaki roho napiaki mwili naata kwa familia yangu. Mike, ni kama logo kuetu. So iku amitaweza kusapot Mike, ataweza kusapot wengi, juu. Mi miaki bakasa izina itanga Mike Bro. Sijapata mungine bado kamaiae. So mi na mwambia sana, mungu am bariki yang mfungu liye mi lango naata mungu am pelikimbali. Mngoda bariki Mike na mfanyi mambomingi kubua na bariki baka na jamia kia tami pa kampanuri any lektu yote na zata kaiduni yang mungu asimini mena kwenaroho siya awatu kwenaroho yaku panuri watuengi wakona mashida wuku inji, awasai diye. Nashkuru Mike san, juu kutokabu letuli patana na Mike 2016 life ilu kuji kaba dilika. Til kwa tuki ombanga mungu watu tumi e mi saidizi na tu kwa tu na jomali mi saidizi yata toka. By the way Mike kutokali niya kwa life ilu ali fanya tu vene Goda ilu kwa mi mfungu sana shkuru sana mungu am bariki a mungu and elu kusidia na wenki na wenki wala ilu kwa na halikama yi angu. As we wrap up our conversation with Mike I feel inspired and wiser than I arrived in Kajole to make the streets families. I feel hopeful for a better future for the existing streets families and the children that are being born every day with the dimest chance of surviving in a loving family wishing that you and I will come to a realization and look at these individuals as humans that deserve love. Yom toto tutanzaku mi ni maizuala watu a kwa kwa streets Yom toto umdogo unge na mamayake mu chukwem pele kem toto shule at least uta kwa umem saide it is not a must at yukujo ni tafu temi mi saam puni ambi ati shikahi peseo saidi yem tu flani apana ato si poni peyo peseo na usaidi yem toto mo niya kwa pala inje utembe umuone viliana teseko mu chukwem saidi yi you have helped me for real you have helped me so nge urge community to sana to ingili ni kati to saidi yaw wa watoto vilatuna weza my advice to the young people out there is that whenever God gives you a vision and a dream you should not just sit on it and wait for things to happen a vision is a God-given dream and it's a revelation of God's will and God's plan for your life and there are many things that you cannot do or even know except by that divine revelation so my advice to you is that the moment you have a desire to do something push yourself push yourself like personally after high school I was not able to go to college but then I decided to start doing sales merchandising buying stuff at Isili and going out there to sell them and making a profit and I was comfortably living in a house and paying my rent and paying my dues as I was waiting on the bigger things that God had promised because you have to start from somewhere one step at a time but don't give up don't look at the situation like things are so bad that there's no far you can go because you're not doing it by your own strength put your hope and trust in God and then push yourself beyond just push yourself the task is so enormous trying to reach out to the needs of these people if the task is so enormous and so we are appealing to our friends and supporters out there if you want to really to plug in into what we're doing to reach out to these people you can reach out to us my number my contact is 0712652532 that's 0712652532 you can also go to our Facebook page the Meek Foundation you can find some of the activities that you do there on Facebook and yeah we are working on our website so very soon we'll be having a website but if you want to just reach us you can contact me directly