Frederick Omondi - Restart Manager

Frederick Omondi

Fred lived happily with his parents and his sister until 1999. In 1999, when Fred was thirteen his father, Peter Ndolo caught malaria and was admitted to hospital. Fred's mother had been in a car accident the previous year and was experiencing a great deal of pain in her ribs. Although she was sick and had two young children she had to leave the family home to look after her sick husband in hospital as there was no one there to take care of him. Fortunately, Fred's father had saved some money from his employment at a sugar factory and the family lived off this money to buy food and to pay for school fees. When Fred was 14, his father died and soon after his mother was admitted to hospital. A month later, she died also leaving Fred and his sister with nobody but each other. When the money that Fred's father had earned ran out, Fred struggled to pay for his own school fees and to buy food for him and his sister. Fred's sister, Nancy Claire was told by distant family members that they could not pay for her school fees, they beat her and chased her from the home due to the "burden" she had put onto them. Nancy turned to life on the streets but was lucky to be taken in by an orphanage in Kisumu and a doctor who treated their mother paid for her school fees for a few years.

Fred stayed with his aunt for about a year and a half, she treated him well but when she retired from her job as a teacher she left the town and returned home. Fred went to stay with his cousin, Peter Abala Ndolo who acted as Fred's father, brother, friend and role model. Peter helped Fred find casual work, teaching now and then but it was inconsistent and hard to find. Peter left Fred to go to work in Gilgil working for the Coulson Schools. Fred continued to struggle finding odd jobs here and there until about a year later when he received a call from Peter asking if Fred wanted to volunteer at a Restart Centre for street children. Fred was delighted and honoured to have been asked and did not hesitate to agree to help. Fred was so pleased as he knew that he too could be rehabilitated spiritually, mentally and psychologically. Fred is currently very happy because of the good work he and others have done at the Restart. He says it is the greatest thing that has happened in his life and how thankful and grateful he is to the Coulson family and everybody who keeps giving him support.

Fred's plans for the future are dedicated to helping the children at the Restart Centre in more ways than acting as a role model and father figure, he plans to further his education so he can teach them all that he learns.