Abandoned at 2 weeks old and orphaned at a very tender age, Stano’s story is simply an inspiration
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| Stanley Njuguna Kibue born aka Stano Ezi on his graduation on 20th September 2019. |
Stano was born in 1994 in Thika’s Kiandutu slums by alcoholic
parents who later abandoned him to live with his grandmother when he was just
at the age of 2 weeks.
Living with his grandmother at that tender age was not easy
due to her poor financial status.
At the age of 5, he joined Garissa Road (then Kiandutu) Primary
School.
Life at school was very hard as his granny could barely
afford him food and most times, he reported to school without even having taken
any breakfast and could at times find himself without lunch or dinner.
Life as a street boy
When he could not bear it any longer, he quit school in
Standard four and went to survive in the streets of Thika as a street boy (chokora).
It was in the streets where he learnt to take drugs especially glue and
marijuana.
His life began to change for the better two and a half years
later when some social workers from ACTION FOR CHILDREN IN CONFLICT, an
organisation based in Thika, came to his rescue.
They enrolled him to a Children’s Day care in Majengo estate
and also admitted him to a rehab centre.
A year later, Stano agreed to go back to school.
By this time, his grandmother had already passed on and was
forced to live with a distant aunt who eked a living through the sale of illicit
brews.
Living with her meant that he had to help her brew and also
sell the liquor which he did until he completed his secondary school at
Broadway High School.
To forget the embarrassment and humiliation at school, Stano
buried his mind into books and games and in most of his free time, he spent
playing football. This way, he was able to beat the urge to draw back into drug
abuse and crime.
Community service
After Form Four, he kept himself busy playing ghetto
football.
He later started teaching life skills and did some
motivational speaking in primary schools within the slum with a view to
motivate and offer hope to the slum kids.
Eventually, he formed a football team for street boys and
other kids in the slum with a view to keeping them off drugs and crime.
It was during those football breaks that he would teach them
on the importance of school and the dangers of drug and substance abuse.
His endeavours helped him link up with former Kiandutu alumni
who helped him through his mission to rehabilitate and save the ghetto child.
He later secured some job at Macheo Children's Home where he
raised some money to join college for part-time Diploma in Community
Development and Social Work.
After graduating, he again enrolled for a Diploma in Business
Administration and Management, a course he completed and graduated this
September.
Meanwhile, in 2014 and in partnership with some friends (Sinja,
German teacher ), they founded the Jiamini Community-Based Organisation that currently
takes care of 22 orphaned and vulnerable children in Kiandutu slums. It also
majors in environmental conservation.
His Aspirations?
Stano hopes to change the lives of people living in the slums
and bring hope to the less destitute and marginalised people, especially women,
children, and the aged as well.
He advises fellow youth in the ghetto who feel like losing
hope in life that “There is always hope in tomorrow and that no one knows what
tomorrow holds for them.”
“Your future is in your hands. What you are doing today
determines what you will be tomorrow and a little effort leads to greater
achievements,” he says.
He concludes by warning them to stay away from drugs and
crime.
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