Ange and I set off from hotel with a little map given us by Ali on reception – and his phone number in case we got lost ‘it’s good to adventure’ his colleague said, when it was discovered we were going alone. We set off into the bustle and colour and energy of a Saturday morning on the edge of Mombasa, almost immediately going in the wrong direction – as it seems has become our pattern! – But this time, we very quickly we realized that we weren’t perhaps o the right road! I wound down my window to ask for help and a young boy – about 15 or 16 years old came up to us – ‘I come with you to Fort Jesus’ he said.
‘Yes please ‘ – we chorused – and this is how we came to ‘kidna’ Duncan, who stayed with us all morning to watch Chris arrive in Mombasa – running down to the beach surrounded by children, his journey across Kenya complete with the sound of his voice echoing all around, letting it be known that the street children have a voice too and a right to be heard.
While we were waiting Duncan and I were sitting on a wall together , he told me he liked to sing ‘I know the Kenyan National anthem’ – ‘Would you sing it to me’ I asked and he did, in the sunshine with Fort Jesus rising before us, the sea behind us and the boys playing football in their barefeet on the sand. His soul sang to me and I was glad I met Duncan who offered himself so willingly, who of course was glad of the tip we gave him for his help, but who connected with us in a real and generous way. We walked down to where we would be able to see Chris arrive, a beach boy was trying to persuade me to go down further towards the beach with him ‘Be careful who you speak with’ Duncan said ‘some people they tell you wrong things – trust me – I am your friend’.
I could hear the sound of feet, many feet, a little while before Chris www.hearourvoicekenya came round the corner. The sound was the song of a journey, many steps on a never ending journey ; one that has no finish line because the work that needs to be done is always ongoing, we need to listen and hear one another, to recognize ourselves fully so that we can recognize others.
To truly teach the children on the streets that they have a voice, that they are important and that their life has value, we need to know this deeply ourselves. We need to know that we teach best by example and that from this place the work will have deeper connection to our own truth and so connect to the truth of the children who need to be heard all over the world. To help the street children, we must heal our own inner child as a daily practice – it is by connecting to our own truth that we are able to truly ‘be the change we want to see in the world’.
Sunday morning
Ange and I have begun our day running barefoot along the beach – we passed other runners, who were also running barefoot – and now we are hungry for our breakfast!
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