Well, what do I care about him.
I left home because my father did not give me food.
I ran away to the city because I could find food there.
When I arrived in the city, I was shocked because there were so many people.
I did not know where to find food.
I did not know where to sleep.
I was afraid.
This sound would become my new enemy who continued to ask me to do things I did not want to do.
My heart hurt because I did not have any family to look after me.
Often times kids that are new in the street, they try to live with the old ones that can
protect them.
And they live in abandoned houses and they build houses with plastic bags and sticks.
They live like a family.
When a boy first shows up at Masana, he's usually a little bit dirty.
He often has sores that we'll need to take care of or sometimes they're injured and we
have to get them medical help.
Masana is an open center that's working with street kids, especially with the boys.
So we are open from Monday to Friday every week.
And then the kids come in, they have a place to shower, they have a place to have something
to eat and then we have a small churching and also we have a small school.
Our goal here in Masana is not to make families but to help the kids connect with their families.
The suffering ahead on the streets cost me too long for a family.
The highlight of our work here at Masana is when one of these boys approaches us and is
ready to go back to his family and we can begin the process of reintegrating him.
Once a kid makes the decision to go home and we sit down and have an initial counseling
visit where we sort of determine if the home life is sufficient and it's going to be sustainable
to take the child home.
And once that decision is actually made, we commit to about two years of follow-up with
that child.
Today we're so excited because this boy is going back home.
Even more excited because he's one hundredth boy that we place him back home.
Wow, Zachariah, feel it, feel it.
Wooo.
Let's go boys.
You
