'There Is Always Hope'

An Orphaned Street Kid Overcomes His Dark Past

Like a frog at the bottom of a well, I lived my life in darkness with no hope and no future. My family was poor from the start and my parents tried their best to support us. But they passed away when I was still very young.

For a time I lived with my older brother and his family. But I was never happy there. I was abused and witnessed violence. I decided to run away. But life on my own was more difficult than I thought.

I became a beggar, a street kid. I slept on the sidewalk and collected rubbish to buy food. I had no friends and no hope. I joined a gang who said they would be my family- my ‘older brothers’. But later, I saw who they really were. They took advantage of me and threatened me. Every day they forced me to work and give them the money I earned. When I failed to obey them, they punished and beat me like a dog.

Every night I slept in fear and desperation. I lived this way for three years. Finally, I saw hope. A friend brought me to an NGO that works with boys like me. They referred me to Hagar. It was then that I began to see a new world.

Hagar became the family I always longed for. I received good education and training. I’ve never felt happier in my life. 

Today I am in my third year in college studying Information Technology. I work as intern in Hagar’s IT management team. I am also a leader in my church and a member of a sports club. After all these years I have learned that there is always hope even when we think we are hopeless. I have escaped the darkness. I am experiencing the fullness of life.

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