Jonathan

For the last few weeks our street work has been a little on the quite side. All the parks were boarded up for Carnival and the kids were displaced ( more than usual). But this week we met a few of the kids we have been in contact with for a while. Jonathan and Kai, (about 13 but look about 10) normally hang around together, in a plaza. Kai has one leg as just before we met him he had been run over by a bus. He moves around very quickly with his crutches ( and without) and his crutches are used as a form of weapon when someone steals his glue or irritates him. This week Kai was not around though.

Jonathan was and seemed very withdrawn and when i held out my hand to him he kissed it put it against his face and then curled up his body into mine. Obviously these boys are sometimes over sexualised and so after giving him a quick squeeze as my heart was braking and my eyes filling i passed him over to our male team leader. Jonathan stood holding our team leader, eyes screwed shut, face in pain. Our hearts tearing. There is such a long hard journey for this boy to walk if he wanted to come off the streets. visiting his family (who are often the reason for kids being on the street) appearences before a judge, a medical checkup. A decision. A decision is the first step, and often the hardest. But as our team leader talked to Jonathan that night he said "yes". Yes he did want to finally come off the street, yes he was willing to go to his family, with one of our workers, to get the papers he needed. So this ball starts rolling. Now there will be another challenge. Can they accept him here at the Hope House? Do we know anywhere else he can go? When we find him again will he still want to leave the street?