Have just returned from a hectic month in Mombasa, we did not plan our “holiday” very well as it was the rainy season – two weeks of non-stop rain destroying roads and homes just north of Mombasa. Getting around was very difficult as many of the roads were inaccessible and Mombasa itself was not a pretty sight. Nevertheless we managed to research our project in great detail.

A few facts – there are over 4,000 children who beg on the streets in Mombasa, 50% of these go back to the slums at night, the other 2,000 actually live on the streets, only 5% of these children are not taking glue. When we spoke to various people involved with the street children, they told us that the glue keeps them warm in the cold nights, makes the hunger pangs subside & numbs them to the unbelievable world in which they live. In other words, it helps them survive. This does not make pleasant reading but it is how these children exist, many are abandoned from a very young age, others run away from an abusive family life.

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