HAVEN GIRLS TRANSAITIONAL SHELTER

With being a girl child its self is a huge challenging factor on the streets as predators are always on the peak of their game to use and introduced these young girls to a number of dangerous and inhuman programs. Hajara’s work intensified as many girls came to the programs with each having their own story and a challenge that put them on the run for their lives such prostitution, abuse, violence, death of parents, HIV/AIDS among others. With many girls coming from different backgrounds, there was a need to bring all the girls under the same umbrella in terms of relating with each other in the one roomed house as most of them were coming from different streets with each having its own characteristics and behaviors which created huge tensions among there.

At shelter, timetables are designed that fully keep all the girls busy in terms of what to do, what time to do and when to do it, this brings all the girls together as they do chores and start to share their stories, this puts an ease in our activities during mentoring as we have pathways to get to them after creating a favorable environment for them. The children in the shelter are taught how to live under rules and guidelines contrary to their lives on the streets, they eat three meals a day, sleep in a bed safe from harm and have a place to wash from and a pit latrine.

The second step is a placement at our shelter where children stay for years/months. The Havens Girls Transitional shelter provides a loving, safe place for the children to stay temporarily as they settle into life away from the streets before returning home to their family.

But more than having their physical needs met, these girls are loved by the people who now look after them, each shelter has a transformed volunteer ‘’young lady’’ from our previous rescue center for the girls, these young ladies were former street children who transitioned, improved and this is an example to all the children, the shelter is under supervision of a female as well to help their spiritual and emotional health which is paramount to us.

Our home was born out of an urgent need for a shelter where we could rehabilitate street girls that couldn’t manage the street lifestyle. The teenagers who live in our home had met the staff members of Save Sunshine shelter kids at the weekly ministry program. In discussions their distress and their motivation to change their lives became clear. In our transitional shelter, we offer them a real home environment and celebrate special occasions with them such as their birthdays, sometimes go out for swimming, attending social Christian youth events such as youth camps and competitions in the house and outside.

During this rehabilitation process, the children are given and provided with regular counseling, all time checkups as each child has a different need, requires emotional support, proper feeding, beddings and then join the learning center (educating them) as we continue to learn of his/her story and be able to trace for their families.