Chased, beaten, hungry, and alone, Samson didn’t know where to turn.
He’d never expected his life to lead him to sleeping in back alleys and running from the police.
In early 2018, Samson borrowed his father’s bicycle to pedal to work, where he spent the day planting corn. Upon finishing, Samson walked back to the fence line only to find that the family’s only bike had been stolen. Terrified of the punishment he was sure to receive upon his return home, Samson decided to run.
He spent the next 48 hours fleeing the only town and community he’d ever known and settled in a city almost 200 miles from his village. Eventually, Samson fell in with a group of street boys who took him into their ranks and taught him how to survive by collecting plastic scraps to sell and escaping the clutches of angry shop owners.
Samson never made enough money to buy a full meal and went to bed hungry almost every night. During the rainy season, sleeping wasn’t possible either because of how damp the ground was, and Samson’s health soon began to decline.
That’s when a Send Relief partner found him and invited Samson to the local children’s shelter that provided hot meals, clean water, vocational training, and — perhaps most importantly — protection from the brutality of street life.
Shortly after his arrival, Samson’s family discovered his whereabouts and were overcome with gratitude that he was being taken care of and taught a trade. At their encouragement, Samson stayed at the shelter and, this past August, he graduated from the carpentry program.
Today, Samson is enjoying a better life as a result of his time at the shelter and has returned home to pursue an apprenticeship. By coming alongside Send Relief in supporting shelters in sub-Saharan Africa, supporters like you have helped many kids like Samson survive and succeed!
Published December 2, 2019