Parking boys settled
There were several parking boys in the streets of Nakuru in Kenya during my stay in Kenya in the year 1992. They roamed around every street and looked for any type of donkey work to feed themselves. They had no shelter to sleep at night and would sleep in any park or in the scheduled corners around or on the public foot-path.
When they were unable to get anything to eat, they snatched the purses of the ladies who were on their way to shopping or do pick-pocketing. They would even steal some goods lying unguarded. They would even break the houses in the residence area in times of extreme need of food…
During my tenure as the Street Children Project in Charge in Rift Valley Province, apart from settling under aged children in school those did some sort of work to feed themselves and the family, we were supposed to look for some Self Help Project for their parents.
Parking boys was also our target. I saw some parking boys doing the casual work of washing cars. But they were unable to get the right place and enough water and a place to store their tools.
We managed to gather at least thirty types of such grown up boys who were ready to work hard if provided proper permanent space and essential tools.
We contacted Municipal Council of Nakuru to give us the small pieces of land in different areas and to supply water for the car wash Project. The Town Clerk kindly confirmed and we could easily settle those 32 boys in the eight groups of four each.
Open Air Car Wash areas were reckoned by the motorist and the boys got enough cars for their job. When they had not much to do, they went to the residential houses in Section 58 and Milimani Area and gave home services. They were also asked to do some cleaning work in the house and paid well. They had already proved themselves to be honest and hard working. They were even given food and even clothes at times by the generous Asian house-wives.
These boys were given the free shelter in the slum area by the Municipal Council. No more parking boys in the town any more.
Those boys once despised by the people because of their nuisance and the dirty clothes came to be admired by the general public.
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