Eric is one of six children. He and his two brothers, Dickson and Boniface, all live at the Global Hope Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Their father passed away when they were all very young, leaving their mother to raise them alone. Jobless, she was unable to provide for them, which inevitably led to all of her children, including Eric, to the streets of Kibera, Kenya's largest slum. Begging for food, stealing, and sniffing glue, they struggled to survive in Kibera and eventually returned to Ngong to their mother. A short time after his two brothers were rescued by Joseph, the Director of Global Hope, Eric was also rescued and brought to the center. Not long after they arrived to the center Eric and his brothers got word that their oldest brother was killed by "mob justice" after he caught stealing. This news was devastating to Eric and his brothers, but reinforced their decision to stay out of the streets and return to school. Eric has remained at the center for three years, and is showing tremendous progress and improvement! |