TRU International provides continuous education and vocational instruction to underprivileged youth with the goal of transforming their lives.
Presently, the organization is aiding 18 youngsters by enrolling them in educational initiatives and vocational courses.
TRU’s primary aim is to reunite these children with their caring family members, such as parents, grandparents, or other relatives. Through partnerships with external organizations, TRU also offers psychological counseling and support for overcoming substance abuse issues, placing a strong emphasis on conquering addiction and addressing historical traumas.
Following these steps, TRU guides each individual in identifying the most appropriate route for their journey, whether it entails reentering the educational system to obtain a diploma or embarking on vocational training to acquire valuable expertise.
Antony’s life took a devastating turn at the age of ten when his alcoholic father abandoned his mother. Left without care, Antony found himself alone on the unforgiving streets of Nairobi, struggling to survive. Antony found a group of boys in similar circumstances, forming an unbreakable bond that became his new family. To survive, Antony resorted to begging or recycling metal and plastic for money, but the harsh reality of his existence pushed him towards drugs.His drug of choice was glue, a highly addictive rubber cement readily available from “glue dealers.” The substance numbed his hunger and provided an escape from the paint absence of his family. Tragically, Antony’s dependency on glue rendered him incoherent and vulnerable to abuse by others on the streets. But amidst the darkness, hope appeared. Antony started attending Bible studies, seemingly uninterested at first, but eventually expressing a desire to change his life. John and Tyler cautiously gave him a chance, challenging him to stay sober during their activities. Surprisingly, Antony rose to the occasion, attending all the events and participating without signs of substance abuse. Impressed by his dedication, they began involving him in their ministry, assigning him tasks to help with cooking and cleaning. The change in Antony was remarkable, and the group decided to take him into their 4-step program, providing him with personal discipleship and nurturing his sense of self-worth through his newfound faith in Christ. As Antony progressed, he became an active member of the local church and even took on a leadership role in the youth group. The support and encouragement from the community propelled him forward, and he pursued courses in plumbing and welding. Today, Antony works with TRU International and serves as a football coach for TRU. Although his journey is ongoing, Antony’s life has been profoundly transformed. Through love, guidance, and a renewed sense of purpose, he has been given the tools to succeed and find meaning in life, leaving behind the pain and darkness of his past on the streets of Nairobi. Antony is a transformed life.
Sarah is a single mom of two small children and is a regular attendee of the Monday TRU street girl program at the drop-in center. Sarah has a soft voice and a very sweet disposition. As our relationship grew Sarah confided in us that she daily goes to a neighbouring slum to prostitute herself, she was barely earning enough to feed her children. Sarah shared that she was tired of living that life and wanted to change. We encouraged her to think of other ways to earn money. Sarah decided she wanted to sell peanuts and TRU helped her buy her first batch of peanuts and other materials she would need to start her small business. Sarah’s peanut business has taken off and since selling peanuts she has not returned to the slums to prostitute herself. Sarah now has the money to feed and care for her children.
Every Monday, young Joseph makes his way to the Drop In Center when he knows it’s open for street girls. He joins in the children’s program there and always comes with a strong appetite. What caught our attention about Joseph was how surprisingly mature and street-smart he seemed for a three-year-old. We got even more concerned when we found out that his parents weren’t looking after him during the day – his dad went to work and we didn’t know who his mom was. This made us pay special attention to him and we kept searching until we found his mother. To our surprise, his mom turned out to be Rose, a woman who takes part in the street girls’ Bible study.
However, it’s concerning to see that Rose doesn’t interact at all with her son when they’re at the Drop In Center. This lack of a connection between them worries TRU that Joseph is be headed towards a life of living on the streets. It’s clear that he needs our prayers and support to keep him from becoming a permanent street child very soon. Joseph’s story is far to common among the people TRU works with.
TRU International became acquainted with ten-year-old Milan when she joined our Monday’s TRU Bible Study for young girls from the streets, all on her own without her mother. During one of these sessions, a volunteer, who used to be a street child himself but is now involved in the TRU boy’s program, noticed that Milan had a scaly rash on her arms. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, some of the TRU team members took her to a medical clinic, where it was diagnosed as severe eczema. Milan received appropriate medication, and she began to see significant improvement . It was later discovered that Milan had been sent home from school due to her arm’s appearance, which the teacher didn’t understand. Thanks to the medical treatment, Milan’s arms have largely healed, and medical documentation confirms that her condition is not contagious. The hope was for her to return to school; however, her mother informed TRU that she couldn’t afford the required school uniform. TRU’s next objective is to ensure Milan receives a new uniform so she can rejoin school. She’s been absent from school for several months, spending some evenings wandering the streets.
