Are We Really Helping: The Plan

“Are we really helping?” Liz asked
while we were spontaneously handing the small group of Street Kids
bread and suckers and taking away glue bottles. It haunted me.
Because it was my own question.

I was in, though. I had decided to
jump into the mess of the Street Kid problem. My question now was,
How can a permanent impact be made? Can we do more than just feed a
mouth for a day?

On top of these, I had three dozen
other questions. How much does glue cost and where do the Street
Kids get it? What percentage of them are orphans and what percentage
are runaways? Do they have gangs? What are the biggest threats to
their lives? Starvation? Violence? Disease?

An obstacle to finding out answers to
these questions were the Street Kids themselves. Our contact,
Patrick, said the Street Kids were “the best movie actors in
Eldoret.” We couldn’t fully trust them to tell the truth.

I had come up with a plan, not so much
to directly impact these kids lives, but to, one, find out answers to
these questions. On top of that, the plan was designed to raise
awareness amongst the general population.

Here were the main points:

• Hire a local translator who knew
  Eldoret and maybe even the Street Kids well

• Spend a few hours downtown every
  day with the Street Kids with a small group

  • Ask them questions and get to
    know their lives

  • Bring some food each day

• Research glue, both it’s effects
  and how street kids acquire it

• Talk to politicians, police,
  newspapers, pastors of downtown churches, orphanages, and others to
  find out what is being done to help the street kids.

• Interview local people in Eldoret
  and ask them their perception of the street children and what is
  being done to help them. Encourage them to help.

• With the two World Race teams in
  Eldoret, have open air meetings for the kids and give out food
  afterward.