"My mothers illness forced us to the streets."

13-year-old Leah Wamaitha does not know the whereabouts of her mother. She has been separated from her for many years and cannot recall her appearance.

It all started when her father died. Her mother developed a psychological problem and she went mad. As a first-born, life was difficult for Leah. None of her relatives wanted to be involved in her problems.

She was in a fix. She did not know what to do with her mentally disturbed mother. She did not even know which hospital to take her to. After sometime, her mother's illness worsened forcing Wamaitha to the streets. Her two younger sisters soon joined her. The family broke up.

The three girls started a new life in the streets where they had to get used to eating rotten food, sniffing glue, and begging. This was a difficult life for the children, but they had to cope with it with assistance from other street children. The children stayed in the streets for almost a year.

Leah Wamaitha cries every time she recalls the difficult life in the streets. She does not want to return to the streets again. "I remember one day I tried to borrow money from a man, instead of helping me, he abused me," says Wamaitha.

Their future now rests in the Sathya Sai School Home in Uthiru. The way these children ended up there is a story in itself. As they were wandering, it started raining. They took cover in a nearby police station. Wamaitha recalls that a police officer asked her about their background and offered to accommodate them for two weeks.

The officer later brought the girls to their aunt's home in Nairobi, but she refused to take responsibility, saying their father had left a curse when he died, and she did not want to get involved. The aunt then took the girls to another relative's house, in Nairobi. She also denied the children a place of refuge. She later took them to the Sathya Sai Home.

"When I grow up, I would like to become a police woman so that I can support those in need," Wamaitha says.

The Sathya Sai Home has a school where the children study. The teacher in charge, Philip Aburaka says they are trying to put love into the hearts of children who were used to violence of the streets. He says many of them change after some time and realize that they have been in the wrong place. Others find it difficult to change.

Aburaka says the school strives to improve the physical, social, and psychological welfare of the children despite limited resources.

Leah Wamaitha and her sisters were helped by Sathya Sai School Home, a FCF project in Nairobi, Kenya.

journal

A couple days ago I was walking down the street to see if my dog was at my neighbors. Before I got ready to head over there, I started hearing a really weird noise in the backyard. Colton came upstairs to ask me if I knew what that horrible noise was. "Did I not just ask you the same exact question?" I asked him. Every time I ask him a question he always repeats what I say. For a second there, I thought I was gonna have to whoop him. Then Colton said, "Go run out to the backyard and see if you can find out what that is." "Heck no!" I replied. You must think I'm crazy to be running out there by myselft. I might go if you come with me. "Just go out there by yourself Johnny!" Colton said. "Know that if you don't go, you will regret it!" Colton said. Lets just all go at once. That dog will masticate your leg if you mess with it. Mom will not be happy if I go. Just calm down Colton. I will help assuage the situation by giving it some food or something. I think what I'll do is grab some jewelry and other pretty things to help embelish the "thing" that is in there. Oh come on! I just want to find out what that is. Not make friends with it. Please just let me do this! It will work, I know it will. Quite! I think I hear the noice again. Really? Yes, so stop acting quirky. So we are really going to do this aren't we? And what happens if we get hurt? Then we go to the hospital together. Usually when someone is threatend to get hurt, they don't want to do it anymore.Very good assumption Colton. Well, we are still going to do it man. Xtremely dangerous is what your planning! Your insane for doing this Johnny, you really are. Zany is the only word that describes you. You have fun. your going by yourself.

"its a dog's world.

Hi, my name is Hurley! About three and a half months ago i was just born. I lived in a really crappy sad family. I have four sisters and there all younger than me. I am a really huge dog. I'm only about three and a half months old and I already weight twenty nine and a half pounds! My birth dad stands about to my owner's [Colton] chest. He is a really big dog and the lady at the vet says that when I grow up I'll be just as be as him if not bigger. Now enough about me. Now I will tell you about my owner. He is an awesome guy. I love him to death. He likes to play fetch with me and he always teaches me to sit. There are times when I feel like back talking him. But when I do I get sent outside with my step sister Bella, she is a husky terrier/coyote.

She is a very hyper active dog that is really really smart. I remember when she got into a fight with the neighbors dog because he was messing with me. Man! If i was that other dog i would be terrified. She really loves me and always takes up for me whenever I need it. I am really glad that I am welcomed into this family because they always take the time to pay attention to me.

There is really not much about me cause mainly all I do is sleep, eat, potty, and gripe. But when I get older I'm going to go out the the dirtbike track with daddy everytime he goes. My owner has to be the best owner anyone could ever ask for. Well bye bye for now. I have to go to sleep or gripe at my owner. I'm not sure what I want to do. bye.