Getting the Balance Right

Today we rose early, for the drive to visit two of our boys, Shadrack and Victor. They live close to each other, in Busia County, near to the Uganda border. 

We set off on the familiar airport road passing through Maseno and Luanda but then, unlike yesterday when we turned towards Siaya, we continued on the main western highway.

It may be something of an exaggeration to call it a highway, but the road was relatively pot hole free and we made quick progress.

“Can you believe that?” said Moses, pointing at a motor bike just ahead of us loaded down with a three piece suite (yes, that is what it said!).

Paul James and I sat marvelling at the balance and inventiveness required to strap three large items of furniture onto a small 200cc motorbike and then to ride it on the same roads as the huge lorries and speeding matatus that hurried up and down between Kisumu and Busia.

I have grown accustomed to remarkable sights, bikes carrying three or four 90kg sacks of maize, iron roofing sheets strapped on cross ways, so the protrude into the highway and only this morning in Kisumu I watched a small boy carrying 5 chickens, their legs tied together with raffia so they couldn’t escape, jump onto the back of a boda boda and head home.

But this was a first. I have never seen a three piece suite on a bike before.

We pulled over in Bulaga to buy a small bunch of ripe banana’s from one of the many roadside sellers, who wait for the matatus to pull in before standing at the windows earnestly selling their fruit. The bananas were sweet and tasty and we ate them late in the morning as we made steady progress. We drove through Yala and Ugunja, before turning off the main road onto a dirt track, heading down towards the Northern end of the Lake. After another half hour we turned onto a smaller track and then onto smaller and smaller routes, made by and for bicycles, but down which the little Toyota wondered with ease.

Eventually we arrived at Victor’s place.

Victor has been with us for about 4 and a half years, living in our smaller centre at Mamboleo with Paul James. He found his way to the streets when he was very small, after running away from home.

Apparently he was running an errand to the shops and was given money, but lost the change and was frightened to go back. By whatever transport he could, he eventually found his way to Kisumu, where we met him in one of our outreach programmes.

After a year or so we traced back to his family, who were overjoyed to see him and know that he was alive and well. Victor has been doing well in school and has just completed class 5 at primary (of 8 classes).

We walked into the small compound and found his mum and dad there, laying out cassava to dry in the afternoon sun. Traditional mud and thatch huts made up the accommodation and Victor’s dad ushered us into the main house, which was airy and cool. Paul James has been here often during the resettlement  program, but for Moses and I this was our first visit. It was lovely to meet and talk with Victor’s parents, and they were so full of thanks for all that has been done for them, bringing their son home.

After a number of visits, Victor asked Paul James if he could resettle back at his parents place, so now, at the end of the school year, he has moved from Mamboleo back to home. We couldn’t be more delighted for him. He has already made friends in the community and will start at the local school in January. We will, of course, continue to support his education and we wish him and his family every blessing.

We left Victor and made our way to Shadrack’s house, which he shares with his grandmother. Shadrack has just completed secondary school and we are waiting for his results, which will be out in February. Our hopes and prayers are for a successful result, that he might realise his dream of going to college.

We made our way back to Kisumu full of talk about the different programs we run and about the hopes and dreams we have for the children. I have seen many on this trip that are taking their first steps to an independent life, standing on their own feet. It is a difficult process, but one that is seeing some success.

Balancing the needs of many different children is as hard as balancing a three piece suite on a motor bike and driving on a public highway.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.