KENYA: FORMER KENYAN STREET BOY USES MARITAL ARTS TO TRY AND GET OTHER KIDS OFF THE STREETS AND GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE
Record ID:
541605
KENYA: FORMER KENYAN STREET BOY USES MARITAL ARTS TO TRY AND GET OTHER KIDS OFF THE STREETS AND GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE
- Title: KENYA: FORMER KENYAN STREET BOY USES MARITAL ARTS TO TRY AND GET OTHER KIDS OFF THE STREETS AND GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE
- Date: 2nd April 2003
- Summary: (L!1) KENYA - TAEKWONDO (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS OF FORMER STREET BOYS JOGGING EARLY MORNING VARIOUS OF BOYS TRAINING IN THE MARTIAL ART IN A SOCIAL HALL TRAINER GEORGE MUREU WATCHING THE BOYS TRAINING BOY HOLDING KICKING PADS (SOUNDBITE) (Kikuyu) TAEKWONDO TRAINER, GEORGE MUREU SAYING: "Bernard Mathenge was the man who changed my life. He came to the street where I was hanging out and I made fun of him. So to teach me a lesson, he beat me up. I was very disturbed, because I thought no one could beat me -- that's what most thugs think. When I saw him again he told me that he does Taekwondo and that he can teach me." BOYS IN STARTING POSITION DURING TRAINING AT A PARK BOY DEMONSTRATING HOW TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM TWO ATTACKERS VARIOUS OF BOYS TRAINING AT THE PARK (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) TAEKWONDO TRAINER, GEORGE MUREU SAYING: "I was just like them, but when I started Taekwondo I really changed. My bad manners have gone, I've changed my lifestyle and I have a future. Because Taekwondo teaches you discipline and that is something you need in life. I think that it will help these children if they have the same experience." BOYS TRAINING AT A SOCIAL HALL GEORGE MUREU COACHING HIS BOYS TRAINEE MOSES MUTURI SPARRING WITH COLLEAGUE (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) TAEKWONDO TRAINEE, MOSES MUTURI SAYING: "Before, all I did was sniffing glue, steal whatever I could, and things like that" MORE OF BOY TRAINING AT THE HALL VARIOUS OF GEORGE MUREU COACHING THE BOYS AT THE PARK (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) TAEKWONDO TRAINEE, GEORGE MUREU SAYING: "Old habits die hard. You know they're still affected by glue and the other things they took on the streets." VARIOUS OF BOYS TRAINING AT THE SOCIAL HALL THE BOYS HAVING A MEAL AT GEORGE HOUSE GEORGE HOLDING HIS SON GEORGE'S WIFE GIVING THE BOYS A DRINK (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) TAEKWONDO TRAINER, GEORGE MUREU SAYING: "My wife is comfortable with my background and the issue of helping these kids. They come home they watch Taekwondo films, they are free to say what they want, because they know I'm like their father and she's their mother." BOYS WATCHING TAEKWONDO COMPETITION ON TELEVISION CLOSE UP TELEVISION SHOWING TAEKWONDO COMPETITION MORE OF BOYS WATCHING TELEVISION (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) GEORGE'S WIFE, MAUREEN SAYING: "They are just like my children, it's been a long time since I started taking care of them, so if this was not my calling I would have left it a long time ago." BOYS OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSES BOYS CHATTING OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSE MORE OF BOYS CHATTING GEORGE TRAINING OTHER OLDER PEOPLE TRAINING AT A GYM (SOUNDBITE)(English) NAIROBI BUSINESSMAN MEIR MIZRAHI SAYING: "We always agreed to help because we think that it's a very important project and I think that he's one of the only people in Kenya, that actually do something for these kids and actually take them into his own hands and maybe make some good citizens out of those guys." (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) TAEKWONDO TRAINER, GEORGE MUREU SAYING: "When we see a child with a talent we help him to develop it, when we see a child left in the streets by the mum we take it, so at the end we will never have any street boys." STREET BOYS SNIFFING GLUE AND WATCHING TAEKWONDO TRAINING GEORGE'S BOYS PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR THE STREET CHILDREN GEORGE RECRUITING PRESENT STREET CHILDREN CLOSE-UP BOY SNIFFING GLUE FROM A BOTTLE GEORGE SHOWING THE STREET CHILDREN SOME TAEKWONDO MOVES (SOUNDBITE)(English) UNDUGU KENYA NGO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, NANCY WAMWEA SAYING: "We have over 250,000 street children in the country. This is a big number, and we are not talking of children who are just out of school, they are on the streets. Maybe ninety percent are already on drugs." VARIOUS OF STREET CHILDREN TRYING OUT TAEKWONDO NAMES OF RECRUITED STREET CHILDREN BEING WRITTEN DOWN (SOUNDBITE)(Kiswahili) STREET BOY, KENNEDY THUIYA SAYING: "I'm very happy with this Taekwondo, but I can't afford to pay for my training so it would be good if they assisted me with that. Self-defence is very important -- to be fit and to be able to save your backside if you're attacked by thugs." (SOUNDBITE)(Kikuyu) STREET BOY, MICHAEL SAYING: "Today's training was the best. It is a really cool game, so I'd like them to come for training more often. What I want to do is join them, to become a Kung Fu person." VARIOUS GEORGE BOYS BREAKING BRICKS BOY DOING A HIGH KICK MOVE
- Embargoed: 17th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA3NJ2UZ86HEHO89VJDXUIB1KK6
- Story Text: A former Kenyan street boy is using martial arts to try
and get other kids off the streets and also to give them a
second chance at making something better of their lives.
The road to perfection is long and hard. For these
young men, it starts at four in the morning every day. They're
students at something of an unusual school -- the George
Taekwondo Academy in Kenya.
All of them used to be street kids, as was the school's
founding father, George Mureu -- until a stranger changed his
life.
"Bernard Mathenge was the man who changed my life. He came
to the street where I was hanging out and I made fun of him.
So to teach me a lesson, he beat me up." says George. "I was
very disturbed, because I thought no one could beat me --
that's what most thugs think. When I saw him again he told me
that he does Taekwondo and that he can teach me."
George and his students all knew how to fight before --
but there's a difference between street fighting and the
martial art Taekwondo. It's a self-defence technique using
bare hands and feet -- but a fighter's most powerful weapon is
his mind.
"I was just like them." George adds. "But when I started
Taekwondo I really changed. My bad manners have gone, I've
changed my lifestyle and I have a future. Because Taekwondo
teaches you discipline and that is something you need in life.
I think that it will help these children if they have the same
experience."
George started the school in 1996, with just one pupil,
Moses Muturi.
"Before, all I did was sniffing glue, steal whatever I
could, and things like thatÂ…" Says Moses Muturi.
Moses has put this past behind him. At 21, he's the team
captain and an inspiration to the others.
But not everyone's transition is as smooth . . . After
all, these children is used to taking care of themselves in a
tough environment.
"Old habits die hard. You know they're still affected by
glue and the other things they took on the streets." Say
George.
That isn't George's only problem. He doesn't have the
money to build a proper school building -- so they train at a
social hall and in a park.
But he's determined to give his boys the best life he can.
He doesn't just coach them, he has become their family -- with
a little help from his wife. "My wife is comfortable with my
background and the issue of helping these kids." Admits
George. "They come home they watch Taekwondo films, they are
free to say what they want, because they know I'm like their
father and she's their mother."
Maureen adds" They are just like my children, it's been a
long time since I started taking care of them, so if this was
not my calling I would have left it a long time ago."
There isn't enough room at home for them all, so he has
rented four houses on the street where he lives, to put up
twenty-five boys. To raise money for their upkeep, he gives
extra Taekwondo lessons in the little spare time he has -- and
he's also found donors generous enough to help out.
"We always agreed to help because we think that it's a
very important project and I think that he's one of the only
people in Kenya, that actually do something for these kids.
And actually take them into his own hands and maybe make some
good citizens out of those guys." Says Meir Mizrahi, a Nairobi
businessman.
George goes out to show street kids that they too can
change, then he tries to get them to join him.
"When we see a child with a talent we help him to develop
it, when we see a child left in the streets by the mum we take
it, so at the end we will never have any street boys." Says
George.
The best way to advertise his school is to show off what
his students can do.
"Who wants to join us?" he shouts as the street kids watch
the show.
However, getting all these children off the street will be
a titan task -- far too big for just one man.
"We have over 250,000 street children in the country." Say
Nancy Wamwea "This is a big number, and we are not talking of
children who are just out of school, they are on the streets.
Maybe ninety percent are already on drugs."
The new government's solution is to round them all up and
put them in social centres. But it won't be easy to
institutionalise kids who are drug addicts and used to their
independence.
That's where George could be onto something. Their
Tae-kwondo skills are unlikely to get them a job. But it does
give them discipline and strength of mind -- enough to give up
drugs and to change their lives.
Today's recruitment round was fruitful -- it looks as
though George's school is about to have a few more students.
"I'm very happy with this Taekwondo, but I can't afford to
pay for my training so it would be good if they assisted me
with that." Says Kennedy Thuiya. "Self-defence is very
important -- to be fit and to be able to save your backside if
you're attacked by thugs."
"Today's training was the best. It is a really cool game,
so I'd like them to come for training more often. What I want
to do is join them, to become a Kung Fu person." Adds Michael
a street boy.
It takes extraordinary foresight to know that learning how
to fight with discipline would make such a difference to young
men who grew up fighting to survive.
Taekwondo has given them a way out of the darkness that
they once lived in -- and who knows where it will take them in
the future . . . - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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