We Belong Initiative

Sometimes, during my free time as a student, I go to the streets and spend time with children who live there, just as a simple gesture that says: I see you, I remember, and I understand. Some days I carry a few gifts as a surprise. Other days, just my presence. By the end of it, there are always more children, like twenty small faces, curious and open, drawn not by what I bring, but by simply being there with them.

When I return to my hostel, surrounded by comfort and safety, I pause and wonder: where do they go when darkness comes? Who watches over them? Do they eat, do they sleep, do they feel safe?

I think about the small things I take for granted, meals on time, a roof over my head, clean clothes, the laughter of home. And it hits me: how lucky, how blessed we are to not even realize it… how easily we forget that for some, life is a daily struggle to simply exist.

Last week as I was scrolling through my social media, I came across news that nine street children were buried at Lang’ata Cemetery. Investigations into their deaths are ongoing. As we read these headlines, it’s natural to ask what really happened? Were these children victims of violence, exploitation, or something even more sinister? While we may not know the full story yet, one thing is certain: children do not belong on the streets, and they do not belong in harm’s way.

And yet, what strikes me most is the flowers on their coffins, small gestures of care, but care that came too late. Perhaps for some of these children, these were the first flowers they had ever received in their lives. The first time someone honored them, acknowledged them, remembered them. It is a heartbreaking reminder that kindness, attention, and love should never come only after a life is lost.

And this reminded me of a private message I had received earlier from Isaac Newton, a member of World Pulse. He reached out to discuss a collaboration for an initiative supporting children living on the streets. He shared some images, evidence of the work he has been doing to care for and protect these children and it struck me deeply. Behind every statistic, every headline, there are real children with real stories: some experiencing joy for the first time, others facing unimaginable dangers. It made me realize how urgent it is to act, and how much impact we can create when we come together to walk with these children toward safety, dignity, and hope.

Yes, I’m ready to collaborate with him. Change needs no gender. Change is about courage, commitment, and action. I am ready. I am ready to act. I am ready to make a difference. I am ready to walk with children toward safety, dignity, and hope.And that’s how the We Belong initiative was born.

We Belong is born from the truth that streets are not home, and no child should have to navigate them alone. We begin with care, food, and safety, knowing that we cannot do everything at once. One step at a time, as resources allow, we walk with children toward education, healing, and a future where they are seen, protected, and loved. Because every child deserves a place to simply be a child and to know that they belong.

Our Focus Area

While Newton has been supporting children living on the streets in Umoja, Nairobi, I suggested that we also focus our efforts around Chuka, particularly near my university. These are children I have interacted with directly. Children I know by face, by story, by presence. Working within this space felt honest and responsible, because it is where my understanding is rooted.This wouldn’t be my first step into this work. Previously, I led an initiative called Lighting a Path, which focused on guiding young street-connected children away from addictive and harmful habits, including drug use. That experience taught me that prevention begins with presence, and that trust must come before change.Bringing these experiences together through collaboration felt like the natural next step, grounded in what already exists, and committed to building something sustainable, one step at a time.

Our Mission

To ensure that children living on the streets are seen, protected, and supported while they are alive, through care, safety, education, and healing, so that no child has to survive alone, and every child knows they belong.

Our Vision

A future where no child calls the street home, and every child grows up in safety, dignity, and opportunity, seen, protected, and loved.

Our Phased Approach : One Step at a Time

We understand that meaningful change cannot happen all at once. The needs of children living on the streets are complex, and responding to them responsibly requires patience, consistency, and trust. For this reason, We Belong is intentionally designed to grow in phases, one step at a time.

We begin where the need is most urgent and immediate: basic care. Food, clean water, clothing, and hygiene are not solutions on their own, but they are the foundation. A child who is hungry cannot think about safety, learning, or healing. Meeting these needs allows trust to grow and dignity to be restored.

As trust and consistency are built, we move into health and safety, working with partners to provide basic health support, referrals, and safe spaces. Only after stability is established do we gradually introduce education and learning opportunities, understanding that not every child is ready for formal schooling immediately, and that is okay.

Rehabilitation and reintegration come later, and always through partnerships. These stages require specialized support, time, and care. We do not rush them. Our goal is not to remove children from the streets quickly, but to walk with them patiently from survival to stability, and eventually toward a safe and sustainable future.

Because of limited resources, we are realistic about what we can do. We start small. We learn. We grow. Every step is intentional, documented, and guided by the children’s readiness, not pressure to do everything at once.

In the early stages, success looks simple and human: children returning for meals, recognizing us, sitting without fear, speaking freely, and trusting enough to stay. Consistency is our first indicator. Presence is our first outcome.

As the initiative grows, we track progress through qualitative changes, not forced milestones. This includes improved physical wellbeing, reduced exposure to harm, willingness to engage with safe adults, and openness to learning opportunities. We listen closely to what children show us, through behavior, routine, and choice.

Later phases allow for more structured indicators, introduced gently and only when stability exists. These may include engagement in informal or formal learning, referrals to health or rehabilitation services through partners, and steps toward family tracing or reintegration where appropriate. Each step is guided by professional support and the child’s consent.

We will publish our work carefully, reflecting on what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change. Learning is continuous. Growth is gradual. Success is defined not by how much we do at once, but by how responsibly and sustainably we walk with each child. Because belonging cannot be rushed. It must be built.

We Belong focuses on children living on the streets in Chuka, particularly around the university and surrounding neighborhoods. These are children who have limited access to food, safety, education, and supportive adults. Most are between the ages of 8 and 17, though we remain flexible to respond to any child in need within the community.

Our work prioritizes children we have interacted with directly, those whose faces, stories, and experiences we know. By focusing on children we understand personally, we ensure that our efforts are grounded, responsible, and relevant to the realities of street life in this area.

We will document and update our work at every stage, every milestone, every step, every small success and challenge. This documentation will not only guide our next steps but also ensure transparency and accountability to the children, our partners, and the wider community. By sharing our progress on platforms like World Pulse, we hope to inspire others, learn from feedback, and demonstrate that meaningful change is built gradually, thoughtfully, and sustainably.

We call upon NGOs, community groups, and all individuals who share our vision to partner and collaborate with us. Together, we can create safe spaces, provide care, and walk alongside children from survival to stability. Every contribution, time, expertise, or resources, helps build a future where no child is invisible and every child knows they belong. Together we can make an impactful change.