SANCHAT The Sanata Charitable Trust
Educating Healing Employing
Paul Karuga
Paul Karuga has been an orphan since he was two years old. When Paul's mother died, the eldest sister, Jane who, at ten years old had to take care of Paul, his elder brother Kimani (aged five) and younger sister who was just a baby. Jane struggled with the responsibly of bringing up three children under the age of five and turned to prostitution to earn some money to feed herself and her family. Their family home soon became a brothel and a drug store. Jane's drug taking and frustrations became too much for her and she turned against Paul and the rest of the family. Jane forced Paul to take drugs to stop him crying and asking for food and later demanded that he sold drugs for her. It was not long before Paul was addicted to marijuana. This was when he was only three years old. Jane's drug dealing got her arrested and she spent a year in prison. The second eldest, Kimani, at around six years old was forced to beg on the streets for food and money for the family. Eventually he left to live and work on the streets as he simply could not cope nor provide for them. During this time, the house was taken over by various men, all drug dealers and alcoholics. They took advantage of Paul, making him sell drugs for them, as well as physically and sexually abusing him and his youngest sister, who was just 2 years old. One of these men kicked and punched Paul so badly they broke his arm. Paul, at 4 years old, decided to leave his home and collected branches and bits of cloth from the streets and made himself a house in a tree to escape the abuse. He had no money for food or water so joined his elder brother, begging on the streets. For six years Paul slept on the streets, abusing drugs and alcohol. During this time he was arrested many times and spent time in a juvenile prison where he was frequently beaten. On one occasion, he was beaten so badly by the police officers that he became unconscious. He was dumped at a public hospital by the same policeman
After six years of living on the streets, abusing drugs and alcohol, Paul came to hear about the SANCHAT Restart Centre and came to us desperate for help when he was just ten years old. He was one of the very first children at the Restart Centre and joined us in May 2008. The years of drugs had taken their toll on Paul, he could barely speak; his sentences were disjointed and barely made sense. Paul had never been to school and communication was a big problem. However, after three months, the counselling and help he had received at the Restart meant he was well enough to start primary school. Paul did very well as he was naturally intelligent, he learnt English quickly and it did not take long for him to catch up on all the years of missed education. This year he came 2nd in his class which is evidence of how far he has come in only one year.