The Problem

The Kawangware Slum is home to more than 130,000 people, where residents live under the grip of extreme poverty that makes life a constant struggle to survive. For children and youth, the situation is particularly dire, and many of them turn to ‘street work’ as a way of escaping life at home. Girls are often forced into the sex trade, and many boys join gangs to get the sense of belonging they lack at home. These children quickly learn that life on the streets is violent and unsafe, yet with few other choices, their decisions lead them directly into the cycle of poverty. 

The Program

In 2014, we partnered with the Real Hope Community Foundation, a local child welfare organization, to open a drop-in centre that gives children a safe place away from the dangers of the street and the abuses of home life. When Kawangware saw a sharp rise in domestic abuse during COVID-19 lockdowns, Real Hope moved to a bigger compound to establish a safe house in addition to the drop-in centre for children who needed to be removed from their homes as soon as possible. Since May 2021, after completing major renovations, the compound, called Bella Ciao, now serves as a drop-in centre for 128 children and a safe house for 40 children who require temporary shelter from abuse. 

Since 2021, Real Hope has also been sharing space at the Bella Ciao compound with Joyful Hearts, a program that provides life-changing care for children with cerebral palsy.