Amos Simyo’s father remarried soon after Amos’ mother died.  Amos’ new step-mother then abandoned him when he was seven.  Without any hope of going home, he took to the streets of Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city.

That day, Amos joined the millions of other homeless kids living in sub-Saharan Africa.  They are everywhere—on street corners, at gas stations, in city parks, anywhere they can beg for food or rummage through trash.  They sleep in trees, at bus stations, and on sidewalks, just hoping to make it through the night without being harassed by local police or abused by kids twice their age.

To the local residents, these children are invisible.  The mentality of seeing a seven-year-old kid sleeping on the sidewalk is the same as seeing a fast-food wrapper in the gutter.  Why pick it up?  Another one will just come along to take its place.  Here in the United States, we value and protect children.  In Africa, children are disposable and are left to fend for themselves.  They are referred to as “throwaway-kids.”

Amos is one of the fortunate few.  After living on the streets for the next three years, Amos found his way to Agape Children’s Home, one of the facilities for homeless children that GCM sponsors.  

Today Amos is a very clean and tidy boy who is hard working and enjoys playing soccer and reading.  He has a roof over his head, a warm bed to climb into at night, a school to attend, and caring staff who tell him about Jesus Christ─who was also rejected, yet whose love for Amos knows no end.