And yet another busy month has gone by here at Embrace, full of exciting milestones but also not without it’s challenges.
Having strict COVID restrictions in our county in previous months, conditions for children on the streets were very distressing as many organizations that had been doing feeding programs were temporarily shut down. This caused some of them to come and stay at Embrace to avoid the harsh and cold reality that they would find on the streets.
We had several weeks without a single runaway, which was a victory for our entire team. As the strict measures began to ease up and conditions became more bearable, the number of runaways from the centre also began to increase. It’s always disheartening for our team when we are dealing with children who want to run away and abandon their rehabilitation progress despite everything that has been invested into them. Many intervention methods are used to divert their attention, talk them through their struggle, or simply delay their leaving, in hopes that they will be convinced to stay. But since we do not hold anyone against their will, numbers fluctuate regularly as boys run away and others return, or come for the first time.
Despite these obstacles, the wonderful news is that this past month we were able to return 3 more boys home, permanently! Peter, Brian, and Victor have all been at Embrace since January, and all have had different hindrances that delayed their family placement. Peter and Brian have already been placed back into school and are thriving, and Victor is currently in the process of enrolment, since schools are currently on term holidays. All three families testify of the drastic changes they’ve witnessed in the boys.
After children are reintegrated home, our Social Workers conduct follow-up home visits and phone calls to the boys. The goal is to ensure that the child has settled well, is enrolled in school, has all his basic needs met, and is plugged into a church. After a thorough assessment, the child and family can be empowered and gifted small support, based on the identified needs. For example, Brian’s follow up visit revealed him sleeping with his brother on a small piece of foam, so their family was supported with a mattress and a blanket for Brian and his brother, as well as some notebooks for school. His mother expressed her gratitude and joy over how transformed Brian is, and that he even insists to read his new Bible to the family each day.
We thank God for each of you who stand with us in prayer for the lives of the street children, and also those who contribute financially. There are manny more boys to be reached on the streets of Nairobi and surrounding areas. Please join us in interceding for those who are still refusing to change their destructive ways, those who are battling addiction at Embrace, and those who have already hgone home and are adapting to their new life.
God is at Work Shadrack has been part of Embrace since the very beginning, even before our doors officially opened. We started working with him during the early outreach days, spreading the word about the center. We’ve prayed over his case for many years, and now, after three long years, we have finally seen a […]
Dear Embrace partners, we are excited to share with you our latest ministryupdates and prayer requests. Life at the Center Our boys have opportunities to try a variety of new experiences during their stay at Embrace. To encourage academic development, we organized a Spelling Bee for the first time at Embrace where boys practiced spelling […]
Reunion Camp For the first time in Embrace history, Kenyan Embrace staff, in partnership with a team ofvolunteers from Canada, organized and conducted a reunion camp for boys and their parentsor guardians.The vision for this camp, summarized in its name, aimed to create a space forthe boys and parents to “Re-connect,” while being exposed to […]
Staff Trip Before the end of year busyness set in, our team had the opportunity to go on a staff trip and spend a few days away from Nairobi to rest, fellowship and experience new adventures. Comprising missionaries, day and night caregivers, counselors, social workers, cooks, guards, and support staff, the Embrace team encompasses a […]
