The Glue Boys; Where are they now?

Paul and Evans:
Paul was one of the first Glue Boys we (the Glue Boys film crew) got to know quite well. The morning we filmed Paul sleeping on the porch of a small shop in Kitale, would be his last night on the street. After spending some time with Paul and getting to know him and his daily routine, we discovered an incredibly smart and talented young man hidden behind the tattered clothes and stench of stale glue. Evans, six years old, was one of the youngest boys we met while filming in Kitale. He was also the kindest and most playful boy we met on the streets. Whenever we saw Evans, he was always playing with something. Whether it was a rock he was kicking, or a bottle he was tossing around, or a toy he had made out of trash, his childlike innocence was still intact. Paul and Evans are now living at a group home established by the crew of Glue Boys while filming in Kitale. The home is now managed by Oasis of Hope, a local drop in center for street kids in Kitale.

John:
After running away from Laban’s house and the “Hope of Kenya” program, John was seen living on the streets of Nairobi and sniffing glue again. However after only a few weeks of life on the harsh Nairobi streets and away from the safety of Laban’s house, John made his way back to Kitale and back to the program. We are very hopeful that John will remain in the program and continue in his education.

Dennis and Musa:
Like Paul and Evans, Dennis and Musa were two of the Glue Boys who were invited to live in the group home we created. However Dennis and Musa had a problem with the “no glue sniffing” rule at the house and after many warnings ended up back on the streets. On a return trip to Kitale we ran into Dennis again on the streets. He was even deeper into his addiction to glue and it was taking a heavy toll on his health. He begged us to let him return to the home, however he refused to give up his glue sniffing habit. Musa is also still living on the streets however he is getting help from the Oasis of Hope drop in center and working towards quitting his glue sniffing habit.

Charles and Thomas:
After filming the story of Charles and Thomas, we knew we could not leave these two very young boys with their ailing mother on the streets of Kitale. Working with a local social worker and Kitale Children’s officer, and at the request of their mother, we were able to get Charles and Thomas a home. We were also able to get Charles and Thomas’ mother to stay in the home, however by this time her illness had become more severe rendering her completely incapable of caring for her children or herself. She died two weeks after we were able to help get her two boys into a home. It is hard to imagine what would have happened if those two boys were left alone on the streets, only to be raised by other glue boys. Unfortunately we know there other children as young as Charles and Thomas being raised by other street children all over the world.

Bosco and Geoffrey:
As of last contact with Bosco and Geoffrey, they were both still living on the streets of Kitale and sniffing glue habitually.