Like every morning, I recently stepped out to meet our Street-Children in Thika-Town, and to serve them breakfast. I found them sitting peacefully at the park, enjoying the sun. 

As the innocent kids enjoyed their packet of milk and bread, a police officer suddenly appeared and started harassing them. I had not noticed him approach, as I was busy with the shopkeeper discussing the cost of the kids’ breakfast and making the payments. 

Suddenly, I heard screams from two of the street children, Henry - 12 years old and Samuel, aged 11. Turning back, I saw the police officer’s angry face, then noticed that he had pinned the two boys to the ground, and kept them in position with his heavy boots, and was threatening to hit them with the butt of his gun. 

I dashed towards the officer and I explained to him that the kids were innocent – that I had just bought them breakfast to cheer them up.

The officer was quick to apologize to me for what he had done. I however pointed out that the most affected persons were the street children, and he apologised to them too. 

Incidentally, there was a currency note hanging precariously from the officer’s trouser pocket, and one of the street boys was quick to point out that to the officer. He was so much shocked to see that the boys would do him right while he had already mistreated them. He apologised once again, and walked away full of thoughts. 

Moral of the Story: The commonly held notion that street children are criminals, which leads many people to treat the children as criminals, is false. People need to be sensitized on the dignity of all persons, and the rights of all – including street children – must be upheld.

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