|By Lynette Naisoi|
Friday 10th of March 2023; a group of Strathmore University staff members from DVC Planning and Development adorned themselves in branded blue t-shirts branded ‘Strathmore at 60’ and boarded the bus to Ruai. …ooh yes, Strathmore is Celebrating the 60-year milestone.
The bus was full of cheer as the team caught up on their way to Ruai. It was indeed an ideal time to speak away from the daily “Dear Sir” and “Kind regards”.
With the sun getting hotter and it was just 10 o’clock, the team arrived at Kwetu Home of Peace where we were dearly received and ushered to the dining hall. The cheer that was in the bus continued by playing some games, an introduction of the Strathmore team to the Kwetu Home Peace team, and finally a tour around the facility.
Kwetu Home of Peace is a facility that nurtures street boys from the age of 8 to 15. The team from Kwetu goes into the streets of Nairobi and interacts with the boys who are first taken to the drop-off Centre located in Madaraka for three months for rehabilitation and identification of the families that they have come from. They then proceed to the main centre in Ruai, also called Kwetu Home of Peace, for two years where they are enrolled in school and finally integrated back into their families.
We were lucky to meet an alumnus of Kwetu Home of Peace, John (not his real name). He was full of excitement and shared that he is now on his next step of joining college to study nursing with the support of his parents. John had been in the streets for two years, where he met and agreed to work with Kwetu Home of Peace with the end goal of being integrated back into his family. “Me being reconnected with my family by Kwetu Home of Peace gave me new energy and motivated me to work hard in school and realise my dreams of going to college. I am grateful for my experience here at Kwetu,” says John. Clearly, Kwetu is a home that realizes the dream of young boys to become who they want to be.
The dorms where the boys take a rest after a full day of school activity had nicely made beds, and was full of fresh air. The farm seemed to be everyone’s favourite place. The boys clearly enjoyed what the fruits of land had to offer: tomatoes, fresh milk and a wide range of vegetables.
After spending part of the day in Kwetu Home of Peace, the team then proceeded to Drumvale Secondary School, a mixed day secondary school in the Kamulu area. The sun really took its time to show off but the team was prepared enough to quench it with some cold water.
After a brief from the Strathmore Community Service Centre team, the larger team was quickly divided into groups and distributed into the classes ready to mentor. The young boys and girls were eager to ask all the questions: from how to manage their school work in order to join a university like Strathmore, to how to better relate with their parents and above all how to relate to their peers. Their curiosity was admirable.
The day quickly came to a close at 4:15 pm when the team finally got a chance to take some photos that will go down memory lane. The form ones also managed to get a photo by the bus. Soon, it was time to head back. Where does time go on such beautiful days?
