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| David runs for almost an hour every morning - Photo: A. Kiarie |
David is 17 years old and a victim of the post-election violence that has afflicted Kenya since the beginning of this year. He comes from the Mount Elgon region in west Kenya which suffered violent ethnic clashes long before they took hold of the rest of the country. After his mother died, when David was a small child, he went to live with his aunt but they were displaced due to ethnic clashes and moved on to Kibera, one of Nairobi's largest slums. But shortly before the riots in Kibera started, his aunt left him to travel to Mount Elgon. As the riots took hold, David's house was burnt and he escaped only with his life.
David sought refuge at Nairobi's Jamhuri Showground which was being used as a temporary displacement camp and it was from there that he was taken by the Kenya Red Cross to the SOS Children's Village Nairobi, just two weeks ago. He is currently staying with the other SOS boys in the youth house close by.
Greatest desire is to pursue athletics Although his life and his education have been disrupted, David is making the most of his new environment. A keen runner, (he comes from a region that has bred many athletes) he gets up early every morning and runs around the football field for almost an hour. His greatest desire, apparently, is to pursue athletics as a career, especially long distance running, and he holds up Kenyan world champion runner, Paul Tergat, as his role model.
As David talks about running, you can see the passion he has for the sport. He says that before he left his home a former athlete took an interest in him and helped him to nurture his talent but since the violence erupted, he has lost touch with her.
Encouraged by youth leaders Youth leaders at the children's village have made efforts to link David up with Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA - an organisation started in the Mathare slums which encourages youth empowerment through sport) so that he can continue his training, but at the moment, it is difficult even for MYSA to operate because of the violence in the Mathare area. The youth leaders are encouraging him to maintain his training on the village field, which is where you will find him every morning and evening. In fact he is there so much that other boys from the village have also joined him. It is planned that once MYSA resumes its activities, he can be enrolled with the association.
David is comfortable at the SOS Children's Village but he still sees it as a temporary home and would like more than anything for his life to return to normal. "War is bad", he says. "It made me leave my ancestral home which is Mount Elgon to seek refuge in Nairobi. In Nairobi I thought we had settled; now I am a victim of displacement. Those who can stop the violence should stop it and bring peace that we may enjoy living without fear. Right now I don't know about my future. I am not sure about my aunt's safety. I don't know what to do next."