35-year-old Elizabeth Khamisi’s life is set to change after a well wisher rescued her from the streets of Nairobi where she had been living.
Her story was featured on KTN’s Daughters of the Street, a news feature about mothers who live on the streets of Nairobi.
Khamisi was one of the courageous, yet burdened women, braving not only the cold but also the threats of rape and assault on the streets of Nairobi to fend for their children and families under very unforgiving circumstances.
Zeynab Aden who runs a foundation to help the less fortunate came to her aid and moved her out of the streets and into a new home.
“Someone tagged me on the story and after I shared it on my Facebook page, and a donor saw it and decided to help,” she said.
“I am happy that my life has changed, my children are no longer victims of the cold and I don’t have to worry about being chased,” said Khamisi.
Two months of her rent for her house has already been paid on top of a stock of shoes for her to sell for a sustainable life.
“I am happy my small child will not be falling ill as often as before,” Khamisi said.
Another beneficiary, Anne Njoki, who was also living in the streets was rescued, and was able to deliver a healthy baby boy.
She now lives with Purity Njoki who was also featured on Daughters of the Street.
The plight of street families is supposed to be addressed by the government through the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
The Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund (SFRTF) is working on a policy to provide a coherent and sustainable framework for the rehabilitation of street families in the country.
SFRTF Trustee Alex Masibo said that the number of street families is on the increase and thus the policy aims at addressing the concern.
According to the National Census of Street Families report of 2018, the number of people living and connected to the streets in Kenya was 46,639.
“The counties with the highest concentrations of street persons were; Nairobi (15,337), Kisumu (2,746), Uasin Gishu (2,147), Nakuru (2,005) while Nandi had 151” the report said, adding, most of these street persons were males at 72 percent females at 28 percent, with a majority being youth at 45 percent, children at 34 percent and the older persons at 2 percent.
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