That seems like such a common, simple statement. Though happy high schoolers may be a bit rare, most consider attending school with a few friends normal. 

But for Malik, the 16-year-old Kenyan boy who made that statement during a recent interview, it was almost miraculous.

Just a few months earlier, Malik’s life was a living hell. “I was being locked up at home by my mom when she went to work,” the child said in an interview. “My mom was a prostitute.” 

Malik was not allowed to leave the house while his mother went to work at a local bar, meaning his school attendance suffered. When she got home, she’d often bring men with her to exchange sex for money. On the good nights, she’d send him outside while she began her evening work, sometimes into harsh weather for hours at a time. If he wandered off, she’d beat him for leaving.

But the nights when she didn’t send him away were worse.

On those nights, Malik’s mother would let her “clients” abuse her son. To compound his misery, his friends ostracised because of his mother’s work, leaving Malik without any support. In response, the neglected child became closed off and distant. He said that during that time, he felt that his “life was just gone, totally gone.”

A dramatic turn

Since being rescued, he’s reclaimed his life.

Malik is now living with another relative, who has pledged to take good care of the boy. As part of his Freedom Plan, we equipped this relative to begin a new small business to help the family achieve financial stability so Malik can stay free. He’s returned to school and rebuilt his friend group; he participated in training to help move past the trauma he’d endured during his exploitation in our project, which has helped him learn to communicate with others again.

His teacher has also noticed a significant difference. The child who was once dishevelled, quiet, reclusive and barely able to pass is now stepping up. The teacher bragged about Malik’s scholastic tenacity; since rescue, he’s already dragged his grade average up from a “D” to a “C+.” He’s even travelling with a school team to academic competitions!

His present successes are only the beginning. Rescue has given Malik room to dream. “I hope to get a good grade so that I can attend university to pursue a course in computer engineering,” the hopeful boy said. “Then later in the future, I would like to also have my own team like the Destiny Rescue centre so that I may help my fellow members who are passing through the same problem that I passed through.”

Rescue made so much possible for Malik: education, friends, emotional health, safety, aspirations for giving back, and the list goes on. Would you help open up those possibilities for another suffering child? Your gift makes rescue possible. Fill out the form below to rescue a child today.