Children in an orphanage in Kenya

Merciful Savior Children's Home is an orphanage located in the Ruai Slum in the suburban area of Nairobi, capital of Kenya. Thickly dotted bungalows, shabby roofs, and crumbling roads are everything you can notice here. Sorrow and anxiety in people’s eyes not only makes your heart ache, but also causes horror towards destiny. Poverty, class struggle, religious conflict, homelessness, gangsters… the country is immersed in sadness and backward conditions of life.

The orphanage was founded in 2002 to take in homeless children aged from 2 to 20. The words from Matthew 25:35-40 - "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” - is the motto of the orphanage, aiming at helping those homeless children, giving them a shelter and future.

When asked what Chinese words they want to learn, a child named Njeri told me the answer - "food" and "I am hungry". Children in the orphanage are all very nice. They always wave to, and say "How are you" to the strangers. Kenyans love sports though they do not have gyms or exercise facilities. You can see them playing sport everywhere. They make goals with stones and use soccer balls made of strips of cloth, and they enjoy playing soccer on the shabby field.

When asked about the future, their eyes are all sparkling with hope. "I like drawing, and I want to be an artist when I grow up. I also like dancing too," said 8-year-old Njeri. Another 10-year-old kid named James Katioki said, "I came here when I was six, I love playing with other kids, especially when we are playing soccer. I feel like we are real brothers." "I love chorusing. When I sing with everybody, I feel happy and peaceful," said Nancy Kwenmboka, 12.

This article is edited and translated from 《肯尼亚孤儿院里的孩子们》，soucrce: Chinanews