Andrew Babu stabbed another Street Kid
and ran away.
That’s what the Street Kids tell us.
The truth is never as simple as their stories suggest, but the
bandage wrapped around Nelson’s chest seems to be good evidence that
the story is true.
Babu and Nelson were arguing over a
pair of shoes, said Nelson. Babu got angry. He stabbed Nelson in
the chest.
Then, fearing retaliation, he ran away
somewhere. We don’t know where. We know his mother lives in Western
Kenya, but it’s unlikely he had the money to get there. He seems to
be lost to us now, beyond friendship, beyond help.
And this behavior is the product of the
streets. Street Kid’s egos run high, necessarily high for their own
protection. If you let another kid run you down, he’ll steal your
food, if you let him steal your food he’ll steal your money, steal
even the clothes off your body. Without pride, you won’t last long.
That’s the culture the Street Kids live in.
It’s a culture leading to violence, and
Andrew Babu became an embodiment of his culture.
He was my friend. He was the first
Street Kid I made friends with.
Please pray for him, that someone would
help him get off the streets. Pray for the organizations that get
kids like Babu off the streets, organizations like Tumaini Center and
Shirly Center. Pray for the parents, especially the single mothers
of Eldoret. That they would be able to create healthy homes for
their children so they wouldn’t be tempted by the streets. Finally,
pray that God’s Kingdom would come to the streets of Eldoret, and
especially, into Andrew’s heart.
