STORY By HANNAH NALIANYA
The streets hum with a restless energy, alive with stories that most of us pass by without a second glance. For millions around the world, these streets are not just a pathway. They are home. Life on the streets is a brutal existence, shaped by forces far beyond personal choice: economic hardships, family breakdowns, domestic violence, mental health struggles, and systemic failures.
Mathare valley slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Slums depict an acute need for affordable housing for people to lead dignified lives.|FILE
"No one wakes up and chooses to be homeless," says James, a 42-year-old man who has lived on the streets for over a decade. "It's a journey that starts with one bad break... then another. Before you know it, the streets are all you have", adds James.
Every sunrise marks the beginning of another battle for the basics— food, warmth, and safety. Those living without shelter rely on the unpredictable kindness of strangers, the limited aid from soup kitchens, or overstretched local charities. But hope is a fragile currency. Resources run thin, and the uncertainty of survival looms large.
The environment itself becomes an adversary. Whether battered by winter’s chill or scorched by summer’s relentless heat, the elements show no mercy. Illness, injury, theft; dangers stalk every corner.
Personal belongings, often a lifeline to dignity, are stolen in the blink of an eye. In this world, even the smallest comforts — a blanket, a clean shirt, a hot meal — transform into rare luxuries.
Yet perhaps the deepest wounds are invisible.
Isolation, abandonment, and stigma hang heavy over those who call the streets home. Society is quick to judge, labelling the homeless as addicts or idlers, rarely pausing to understand the tangled web of circumstances that led them there.
"People look at me like I'm dangerous or dirty," shares Mary, a young woman who found herself on the streets after fleeing an abusive home. "But I'm just someone who had nowhere else to go."
Street children, among the most vulnerable, bear an even heavier burden. Physical violence is a daily threat not only from police and other authority figures but also from older children who have learned to survive through aggression.
"The older boys beat us up if we don't give them our food," recounts Peter, a 12-year-old who has lived on the streets since losing his parents. "Sometimes they even take our clothes."
Many children carry knives for protection, and violence sometimes turns fatal. The emotional toll is just as grave: loneliness, depression, and self-loathing carve deep scars into the hearts of the young.
A 2011 UN Human Rights report redefined street children as "street-connected children for whom the street is not just a temporary refuge but a defining part of their identity". Some live permanently on the streets; others work there or move between a fragile "homes" and the streets.
Organizations like Laughter Africa focus on those living permanently on the streets, offering not just shelter but a chance to rebuild broken lives.
Despite the grim reality, stories of resilience and hope emerge. Many individuals, with the right support shelters, rehabilitation programs, and community care — find their way back to stable lives.
"I never thought I'd get out," says Paul, who spent six years homeless before securing permanent housing through a local initiative. "But someone believed in me and that made all the difference."
Initiatives like "Housing First" programs, which prioritize providing stable accommodation before addressing other issues have shown promising results. But solutions must dig deeper than surface-level charity. Ending homelessness demands a shift in societal mindset: replacing judgment with compassion and charity with systemic change. It requires governments and communities to invest in affordable housing, accessible healthcare, mental health services, and robust social safety nets.
Most importantly, it calls on us to restore dignity and humanity to those who have been rendered invisible.
"We are not statistics," Mary insists. "We are human beings with dreams, hopes, and stories."
The streets will continue to bear witness to countless silent battles unless, as a society, we choose to listen, to understand, and to act. A future without homelessness is possible. But only if we dare to believe that no one belongs on the streets not today, not ever.
The Writer is a Bachelor of Arts [Communication Studies] Student at Chuka University.