MEET THE KIDS

 

All the kids below are the 11 children and young adults living in ‘The Home’.

Before the home was opened, they had spent most of their lives between the streets and an abusive orphanage.

Giving them a place to call home and a safe, stable environment for them to grow up in has allowed them all to succeed in every aspect of their lives.

ELIAH KIMULI

Eliah's Story

Eliah was found during one of the night visits to the streets, where Letty and the older boys go around the gutters/dumps in Iringa town, to find current children living on the streets. Eliah was the youngest of all the boys on the streets and was just dressed in a big t-shirt when it was the equivalent of winter in Tanzania. Eliah’s mum had died two years earlier and his dad was suffering from mental illness. After following up with relatives of Eliah, again it was deemed not a safe environment for Eliah and he was welcomed into the family home. Later in 2019 his dad also passed away. Eliah is now very settled in the house, has great behaviour and after getting him enrolled in a local school he is in the top 20 of his year.

FRED MSOVELA

Freds Story

On February 3rd 2019, Letty was visiting some of the older Street Youths that previously lived at the orphanage, when she came across Fred cowered over in the dump, sitting silently. He had not eaten for days and had come from a village over 6 hours away.

The plan at first was to re – home Fred, but after carrying out a home visit with the workers from the social welfare office, due to many reasons home is not currently a safe place for Fred. Instead he is being welcomed into our family at the house, making Fred, who is 11 years old, the 10th member of our family.

SIMONI NGILANGWA

Simoni's Story

Simoni had just turned 9 years old when Letty first met him at the Orphanage. When he was just 5 years old his cousin took him from his home region (8 hours away) and traveled to Iringa with him on a bicycle. His cousin never returned and left him at an abusive orphanage, leaving Simoni with no idea where he was from. When the orphanage was shut down in 2016, Letty became Simoni’s legal guardian. In 2019, after 10 years of not knowing any relatives or where he was from, we managed to track down his uncles and aunties in the region. After visiting them we found there were many more painful aspects of Simoni’s story, and that his cousin taking him to Iringa on the bicycle actually saved his life. Simoni finally feels complete knowing what happened to him, although it is not safe for him to live with his relatives it has brought him some peace to find out where he was from.

IDDY MTAVANGU

Iddy's Story

Letty first met Iddy in 2013 at the orphanage when he was 10. Iddy had been living on the streets since he was 5, after he was rejected by his relatives after his parents died when he was 2. Iddy has spent most of his life between the streets, gangs and the previous orphanage which he constantly ran away from. In 2016 he finally had somewhere to call home and finally became settled. Iddy is now 18 years old and is a talented boxer and musician. Iddy is hoping to gain a place at a music production college later this year with the support of Street Children Iringa,

PISHON MWANGOKA

Pishon's Story

Pishon has been back and forward between the streets and the previous orphanage since he was 8. In 2012 the local council tried to rehome Pishon with a relative but he was straight back on the streets due to drug issues amongst his relatives. He began his life again on the streets and is the only boy I know of who continued going to primary school every day whilst living in the gutters of the streets for over a year. After finding him he was welcomed into the home. This shows how determined his is to gain an education and he really hopes to become a teacher. He is also very talented at music and has three songs that are played on the local radio.

EVA & LIDIA LEPANDO

Eva & Lidia's Story

Eva & Lidia ran away from their village in 2009 in order to escape child marriage and FGM. They were at a high risk of being kidnapped and married off so ran from their tribe and village into Iringa town where they came across the orphanage. Here donation money supported them from 2013 in their primary school education. In 2016 they moved into the home where Street Children Iringa has supported them throughout their secondary school education. Lidia has volunteered at a private nursery school for the last year whilst she waits to start a course in social work or teaching later this year. Eva is the first person from the house to go to University. She is studying business administration and is the prefect of her year. She is a volunteer for restless development and has on many occasions been asked to speak at UNICEF events on girls empowerment. They both have incredibly bright futures ahead.

GOSBERTH NDUYE

Gosberth's Story

Gosberth was found on the streets by the police when he was 10 and brought to the orphanage in 2014. The only relative he knew of was his Grandma who he ran away from in the hope of being able to go to school. Seven years later and 3.5 years of Gosberth having a place to call home he has excelled beyond what could have been imagined. Letty would always find Gosberth in the corner of the orphanage with up to 100 children and youths fighting in the room, he would always be in the corner trying to learn maths. In 2014 she took him to do an exam to be accepted into the local primary school. He was accepted into the 5th year and by the 7th year he finished in second place in his class – receiving a letter from one of the best english speaking secondary boarding schools inviting him to study there. The fees were very high and at the time Street Children Iringa only had just enough funding to cover the food and daily needs of the kids and the house. A sponsor was found for Gosberth and he had amazing english after only 3 months.  After the second term he was 75th out of 158 students in his first year of secondary school. At the end of first year his results got him into the top twenty of the year and a special announcement was made in assembly to say that Gosberth had made history, and no one from a government swahili speaking school had every got into the top twenty. In 2019 Gosberth made history again, claiming first place out of the 158 students in his year, who are mostly from very rich families and have been in english speaking private schools since the age of 5. Gosberth is an absolute genius and the school have said there is even a chance he may get the best results in the country this year – we will wait and see. After Gosberth has finished his GCSEs we are hoping for him to study at one of the best A level schools in the country and look into scholarships for university abroad.

BARAKA KIBENA

Baraka's Story

Baraka lived at the orphanage since he was 10 after his mum dad and brother died. Street Children Iringa supported him through primary and secondary school. Baraka has now finished his education and is hoping to be accepted into the same tourism course that Razarlo is studying, to study to work in the national park and tourism industry.

FLYGOD KIDUGO

Flygod's Story

Flygod lived between the streets and the orphanage since he was 9. Street Children Iringa have supported him through his primary and secondary education. Flygod has big dreams for his future and dreams to open up a small cafe. Later this year we will support him in studying a course to become a chef so he can leave the house with a skill and support him in his small cafe business in order for him to become independent.

RAZARLO NGWENGA

Razarlo's Story

Razarlo lived between the streets and the orphanage since he was 10. Since 2013 Street Children Iringa have supported him through his primary and secondary school education. He finished his secondary education in 2018 and since then has been supported in a driving course and is now studying a year tourism course in the hope to become a safari driver at the local national parks.

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THE SAFE HOUSE

The children and young adults below were found on day or night street visits and reguarly visit the Safe House.

Street Children Iringa have and will continue to support these children in having a chance at creating a life for themselves.

PHILLIPO

Philipo's Story

Phillipo is 12 years old and has been visiting the Safe House since it opened in October 2019. Phillipo was first found on one of our day street visits, in a dangerous area searching for materials to sell for in order to get food for his Grandma and younger brothers and sisters. A home visit to Phillipo’s Grandma was carried out and the best ways to help him were decided. First he needed help to sit his primary school exams in a village where he previously studied and from there he would be accepted into a school in the town and could continue living with his Grandma. Street Children Iringa have supported Phillipo’s family with food for the past few months and will be setting her up with a small business. Thirty pounds was needed for Phillipo’s uniform and books for school. Phillipo had not been able to attend school for over a year so he is very happy to be studying again. He continues to come to the Safe House after school to get food.

NOELI

Noeli's Story

Noeli was found on one of our day street visits and welcomed to the Safe House. He is 9 and was living on the streets whilst his mum had gone to the farm in order to get an income. After carrying out a home visit to Noeli’s mum and rehoming him, the main issue was not having money to cover Noeli’s school needs in order for him to go to school. This cost a total of £30 and Noel can now study again. Street Children Iringa will continue to support him.

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PASCAL

Pascal's Story

Pascal was found on one of the night street visits in June 2019. He had been on the streets for over a year after running away from his abusive relatives that would only allow him to herd animals. Pascal was desperate to learn to read and write as he has never had this opportunity or ever been to school. Since June 2019 Street Children Iringa have been renting a room for Pascal and Raymond at £10 a month and Pascal has started tuition learning to read and write until he can get to a standard where we can support him in a college course so he can gain a skill in his life and there for an income.

RAYMOND

Raymond's Story

Raymond was found by Pascal on the streets and welcomed to the Safe House. He had run from his village in the search of a better life and to gain an education or learn a skill. Raymond is living in the same rented room as Pascal and we will support him in the best way for him to make a life for himself.

SO FAR

WE HAVE ACHIEVED

1

HOME

1

SAFE HOUSE

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CHILDREN RESCUED FROM THE STREETS
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Charity number - 1171821 Contact at - streetchildreniringa@gmail.com