Justice

Today Oasis of hope brought Justice to school, but we need your help to keep him there. Before I go any further let me just tell you a quick story about who Justice is, and why we decided that out of the many street children who attend Oasis, we decided to send him to school.

Justice is a 14-year-old boy who has been attending Oasis of hope since August. Like many boys he just sort of popped up out of nowhere. Justice has a similar story to many of the street children that can be found in Kitale. His mother and father died some time ago, and he had been living with relatives in the northern part of Kenya. Where Justice had been living is full of hardships, and finding the necessary things to live was a everyday -struggle. This part of Kenya is so difficult to live in that boys often just pack up what few things they have and leave their homes in pursuit of a better life. Justice had heard about Kitale from friends who had left before him, and so he decided that he would back up his life and head to the city. Now Justice was not just some rebel kid looking for an easier time, he was actually first in his grade 7 class, and two years away from secondary school. When his relatives could not find any more money to pay school fees that was the last straw, Justice decided that he had to find somewhere better, somewhere where he had a chance at an education. So like many street boys, he hitchhiked from his home on the back of trucks, and other vehicles until he made it to Kitale.

Now when the boys get here they usually try and find a relative who also lives in the town so maybe they could receive some help from them. Justice discovered that he had a friend that was living in Kitale and was a big part of Oasis of hope. Johnston is actually one of the boys who lives in house two, funded by Oasis, and he happens to know Justice. So when Justice discovered Johnston, his first step in finding help was heading to Oasis. When he got there, we discovered that he was a very smart boy, and his report card that he had brought along proved that he was first in his class. Knowing that Oasis school catered only up to grade five or six, it was decided that something had to be done about the schooling of Justice very quickly.

It has been over a month now that the teachers at Oasis have been working with him, and it is very easy to see that he is willing to work hard, and really will succeed in school. After coming every day for over a month I really think that Justice has proven that he is willing to do more with his life then live on the streets. The decision to fast track him into school was an easy one, for him to sit in the back of the class and learn about simple multiplication, when he is far into advanced algebra and geometry, was a complete waste of a mind. I personally have been praying every night that God would give Oasis a direction to take him in, and fast.

So today we decided to just go for it. It is the middle of the term here in Kitale, but luckily Oasis has a good relationship with the local schools, and they agreed to take him for the rest of the term. With that confirmation, I went out bought him a uniform, shoes, paper and other school supplies, and some soap so he can wash his uniform. I also paid for the school fees so that he could eat lunch there everyday, as well as the new pupil fee. All in all it cost me 6,000 shillings or around $85 to get him started and into school. So today was a great day for not only Justice but also Oasis and myself. I don’t think that I have ever seen the boy so happy in the month that I have known him.

First day of school.

This is where you come in. It is one thing to get a boy into school, but to make sure that he is prepared for it everyday is a completely different thing. In order for him to be prepared he must have a warm place every night for him to sleep, and food in his stomach. Here in Kitale the best way to deal with a child who needs to be in school and has nowhere safe to stay is to put them in a school to board. Most of the schools in Kenya have either a day scholar option or a boarding option, and as of right now putting him in a school here in town as a boarder is the best option. We have worked out an expenditure sheet for a child that is in boarding school, so we would be happy to send it to you. I’m not a pro at this whole “writing a letter that will move people to action.” But I am trusting in the Lord, I know that He will provide for Justice, just as he has provided for me in times of desperation.

If you are at all interested, please email me at chriswohlers@yahoo.com; I will give you every piece of information that you want. Thank you for your prayers, I can feel them working everyday.

Me and Justice, on his first day.