Providing an enabling environment to the down trodden members of our society- a Kenyan story

BY JEFF OTIENO

Hope for Victoria children (HOVIC) has donated blankets, food stuffs and built a house for the family of a former notorious Kisumu street Urchin Benard Odhiambo.

Odhiambo who is aged 14 years is now in standard 6 in Nduru Primary School in Kadibo Division Kisumu Town East District courtesy of HOVIC.

The institution through its noble Programme of rehabilitation identified Odhiambo a couple of years ago and retrieved him from the street.

HOVIC has agreed to shoulder all his education and basic needs until he becomes a responsible citizen.

Dr.Joshua Oron the Director of HOVIC who is based in London Britain had to control his emotions when he toured the dilapidated grass thatched tiny 10 by 10 house, housing the parents of Odhiambo together with 8 other children.

For the last couple of years since Odhiambo was retrieved from the streets, Dr. Oron has just been extending his olive branch but has never had an opportunity to pay a courtesy call to their homestead.

To the disbelief of the entire school fraternity and villagers, Dr. Oron ordered for the immediate construction of a semi permanent house which took roughly 10 hours to finish in the full glare of a battery of journalists.

HOVIC has got over 100 children in their support schedule, 33 in primary, 40 secondary and the rest in vacation training institutions.

The school head teacher Teresa Odumba applauded Dr. Orons gesture and appealed to other donors to emulate him.

Odhiambo’s mother aged 35 years while holding her last born child aged 4 months could not hide her joy and broke in tears when she saw building materials and constructors offloading ready to refurbish her grass thatched house.

His father aged 45 who is a labourer in the local rice fields was however dumb founded and just waved to the battery of journalists present saying May Godless you.

HOVIC mission is to provide an enabling environment to the down trodden members of our society and therefore I won’t relent, Dr. Oron told journalists during a brief interview.

The institution is also having a football team to help in the boding process and interaction

 

END.