The Salesian Bosco Boys Nairobi centre has carried out another successful rescue operation aimed at helping boys living on the streets of Nairobi. The intervention was the result of the long-term, systematic outreach work of the Don Bosco rescue team, which regularly visits known locations where street children gather, builds relationships with them and offers them the chance to begin a new, safer chapter in their lives.
On Friday, 23 January, around 110 boys came together at the Kariuwa Drop-in Centre. This was preceded by weeks of conversations with the boys, motivational meetings, and explanations of what the Bosco Boys transformation programme entails. The participation of staff from the children’s office and from the child-protection department ensured that the rescue was carried out in line with the state’s child-protection guidelines.
The selection of boys was based on clear criteria: age 8–16, at least three months spent on the street, and a verbal commitment to leave street life behind and return to education. Of the more than a hundred children who had been prepared, only 51 could be admitted, due to the centre’s limited capacity. All those present were given a simple lunch — often the only meal they had that day.
The boys who were admitted were taken by school bus to the Bosco Boys Rescue Center, where they were welcomed by the centre’s staff, pre-novices and caregivers. The first hours in the centre were devoted to basic needs: hygiene, clean clothes, a haircut, a warm shower, and being assigned a bed with clean bedding. The boys received personal kit and a place to keep their belongings, which for many meant the first sense of privacy and safety they had known in a long time.
After a warm dinner, the new members of the community were introduced to the daily programme and were encouraged not to be afraid to ask for help. At the same time, social workers tended to minor injuries, and boys requiring specialist medical care visited the hospital. Our Slovak missionary volunteers were actively involved in the rescue process as well.
The rescue operation is only the first step. What follows is long-term work on rehabilitation, education and the gradual reintegration of the boys into families or safe community settings. Bosco Boys Nairobi thus continues the mission of St John Bosco — to give the children of the streets a home, a school, space to play, and the hope of a dignified life.
