Successful Story

THE LIFE OF THE BRAVE YOUNG BOY: An experience from Street Medicine Program. (Part 1)

“Despite of the pain and the long journey James is determined to get his wounds treated. He is a boy full of bravery and determination even though he has a sad story to tell“.

James (not his name) is a boy aged 12 years; he lives and works on the streets.

Up to few Months ago James lived with his parents, he had a place to call home, but when his mother died and his father remarried, things changed. His step mother came with her own son age nearly as James’s so there were regular conflicts and misunderstanding among them James couldn’t put up with. His step mother used to beat him on silly things, he was not given food and she fed hatred to her husband whom become brutal to James. The boy could no longer put up with all that, he decided to leave his house and go as far as he can just to escape from his own family. On the day he left home, he didn’t tell anyone and he left as if he was going to the nearby playground so he carried nothing with him.

He walked from rural district (about 31 km) which took him a few days eating what he could get on his way. He was exhausted, hungry when he came to a food stall where a Samaritan woman seeing him offered food before she asked him about his where bouts. He had wounds and dirty, after hearing the story the woman told James about a place where they offering food for children like him. On the street James made new friends who took him to a place where they normally sleep When the town shops are closed at night, they spread boxes and sleep on shop’s veranda. His wounds of about 2.5 to 3 inches were also getting discharge until he found an organization (CBO) which works to provide a free health care services to the street connected children in Mwanza through a weekly outreach program. He was attended and his wounds were well dressed and treated at the day. He walks 4km daily to access a friendly wound care services anchored at Bisou Bailey Medical Dispensary a charity medical facility under a CBO based in Mwanza