A former street boy is among the few people who will be honoured to sit in the same podium with Pope Francis during a meeting between the Holy Father and the youth at Kasarani stadium on Friday morning.
Simon Omari Mwangi, who is now a student at Koelel Secondary School, will perform alongside other former street children from Ndugu Mdogo Children Centre.
According to a report by the Standard, Mwangi was on the streets for most of his childhood until a well-wisher introduced him to a Catholic Priest, who through the help of the church sponsored him to school
He then became a beneficiary of the Wings to Fly Scholarship offered by Equity Bank after passing his Standard Eight examinations.
According to Jack Mtika, a programme manager at Ndugu Mdogo Children Centre, the choice of former street children is strategic to echo the humility of the Pope who lived in the poorest slum in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
"When people see street children, they look at them as a burden. It is interesting that they will be the ones entertaining the Pope while others watch," Mr Matika said.
The Pope is known for his compassion for the poor and initiatives to help the needy in his visits.
“In the poor, we see the face of Christ who for our sake became poor,” said the Pontiff on Twitter.
In the poor, we see the face of Christ who for our sake became poor.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) October 22, 2015
