Dickson came to First Love Kenya on December 28, 2012. As of now, we have no formal birth certificate but understand that he is 5 years old.
We learned about Dickson's condition through the chief of Mikinduri East location after he had been informed about the situation of his family by a neighbor. First Love then sent our social worker to the home to verify the story of the chief.
Our social worker found that Dickson, along with 6 other siblings, is a total orphan. Their father, Godfrey Muchui Jacob, was strangled to death by "shifters" (bandits) during ethnic clashes in 2006. He had two wives, the first having 2 children, and the second having 5.
After the father's death, the children were left under the care of Penina Gakui Ithalii, who is the biological mother to Dickson. She struggled to take care of the children and passed away in 2008.
The 7 children were then taken in by their grandfather. Due to his age, he was basically jobless, only being able to do light work. He struggled to feed the children, and on many occasions, they would go without food. The children slept directly on the floor, posing a great risk to their health, as rain would seep through the muddy walls and leak from the roof. Food, clothing, and shelter were all challenging to provide for the children, so First Love stepped in to rescue Dickson.
Dickson is in pre-unit at Rock School. Previously he did not attend school regularly due to lack of school fees. His sister, Evangeline, and his twin, Godfrey, are also living at First Love.
When first arriving at First Love, Dickson was very aggressive with his twin brother, Godfrey. They are from the Meru tribe and are used to displaying their emotions in a physical manner. Both boys are settling down and learning to exercise more self-control.
They are still seeking a sponsor for Dickson. Please let me know if you'd be interested. Also, Godfrey is adorable as well. He may still need some portion of his sponsorship. You can write them letters and send them gifts. Godfrey is in the light colored vest in this picture with the missing teeth. Is one of the cutest kids here. . . not that I have favorites!
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