Street kids have been on my heart for a long time. The fact is that most NGO’s don’t really focus on street kids because there’s no family unit to help guide them or to manage the funds from sponsors. It’s a complex issue because some street kids aren’t “homeless”, rather their parents put them on the streets because it’s good money. Tourists (especially girls) have a soft spot for the kids, and buy them things and take them to lunch, so there’s a contingent of street kids who live large, bouncing from one tourist to the next. My idea of a recreation center is still valid because kids need skills, but running a center during school hours will cause another distraction for them when they really should be in school.

Like I said, a complex problem, and it’s all but halted our progress to help them. Then this Sunday we helped out with a small church service for street kids held by our friends, the Davis family. The kids were with this program called ASCO (African Street Children Organization) founded by older guys that were once street kids themselves. Jen helped organize some games for the kids and our small family youth group (missionary kids mostly) helped out.

It was a great experience, and it made me think. I felt drawn to the kids and started wondering what I could do to help. My first thought was computer training. I approached two of the leaders (who were once street kids themselves) and pitched the idea of free computer training. They were excited, and wanted to sign up immediately but confessed that most of the kids wouldn’t be able to hang with video courses because of their poor English. I thought about translating some of our courses (maybe.. lot of work… we’ll see) but I left there feeling pretty helpless.

The next day, two guys came into The Keep to use the Internet. One of the guys, Moses, had these cool dreads. I helped them with their account and Moses asked if we built web sites. I told him we did and quoted him a price of UGX100,000/= (about $50, our going rate). Then he showed me some pictures and I find out he’s the founder of ASCO. I told him then and there that we’d do the web site for free.

Moses was pretty excited, and I felt pretty good.. for like ten minutes. The fact was, something happened on Sunday at that little ragtag “church” service. It was like I was being reminded of what, exactly we are doing here. It’s not to run a madly successful business to make money to spend on some down-the-road community project. It was, quite, simply, to help the helpless. To take a step towards those with the greatest need.

Then I get an email from Glenn, and it’s rumored that somehow (miracle) we managed to get funding (miracle) through a particular organization that will remain nameless for a recreation center designed to help out street kids.

When I wrote the proposal, I had envisioned building something from scratch. But now, months later, I’m convinced that I shouldn’t be reinventing any wheels. I’m pretty sure I’ll be coming alongside a passionate, struggling organization that gets “it”. Vague, I know, but given the timing of the Sunday service, the meeting with Moses and the email from Glenn (a span of three days) I think we might just be doing something with the kids from ASCO.

Enjoy the video.