place where I was working,
they would come and clean
up the place and get paid.
That was the rst step in the
right direction, because in
rehabilitating street kids there
has to be constant
engagement. The fact that
they worked in a place
afforded them two things,
one, to interact with other
people that were not street
kids and two, to spend more
time with me.
Now, instead of nishing from
work and going home, I
would walk with them all the
way to their places. It used to
take like an hour thirty
minutes just talking and
laughing. Some of their
stories were sad, some of
them were hilarious but that
bond was there and I knew
for us to get substantial
support we had to build a
structure and I had nothing,
like there was nobody who
was going to afliate with me
at that time.
I sounded like I was crazy, l
didn't know what I was doing.
I will be the rst person to tell
you that I didn't have a plan,
and in a world where you say
you want to help, you want to
start a foundation and you
don't have a plan, who is
going to listen to you? The
worst is I will always admit to
not having any plans before I
was asked, I didn't know what
I was doing, I was confused
about a few things but I knew
I needed help. Then my
friends showed interest in
wanting to help.
Literally for most of these kids
their transformations are
amazing.
somebody cared.
Question: Interesting, I must
say. Do you plan to see these
kids through the university?
Response: One of our kids is
currently writing his aptitude
test, his post-UTME.
Our vision as an organization
is to transform the lives of
street children and turn their
potentials into assets for
society .And it is very simple,
one of our kids has a popcorn
business, some of them
volunteer with us.
I happen to have a quote "I
don't know anybody".
I don't know anyone who can
easily help and say of any of
our kids, "He can work here"
but somehow they are
engaged in some productive
endeavor. For many of them
they had to still go through
school.
Question: Owing to the fact
that there was a provision for
these kids by the wife of the
former governor of Cross
River state and the kids
happened to run out from
that facility, have you had a
similar situation of kids
leaving after you have done
your best to help them?
Response: For many of the
kids you cannot judge them
by what they do. Some of our
kids that have turned out right
were the last people I ever
thought would become
anything better, anything but
worse. At a point, the only
reason we cared for them or
were nice to them was just
because we wanted to do it
for doing sake, to at least let
them have it on record that at
some point in their lives
There was a time I thought
one of them was a real life
demon, this boy wanted
nothing but chaos, he would
come to our programmes and
he would refuse to collect
food, clothes, slippers,
anything they were sharing,
and then when we've nished
all that we brought he would
say "Een-eh you people didn't
give me something abi, let me
see you people in Marian I
will stone you people."
This boy would upset other
street kids and they would
want to ght him. This boy is
currently writing his BECE but
three years ago I thought he
was a demon. So if you can
be persistent, things can
change.
The reason why people give
up on these kids is because
there is no true connection.
You wouldn't give up on your
child just because he is
failing.
Question: So most of these
kids are funded by you. Have
you had any setbacks,
moments where you don't
have sufcient funds to take
care of them?
Response: As an organization,
when we say we want to do
something it becomes a law,
there is nothing like setbacks.
We have one quote that is
very simple, "For so long we
have been doing so much
with so little, we are now
qualied to do anything with
nothing." But aside from that,
God has always provided.
There were times we said we
wanted to do something and
then we didn't have money.
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