From Street Child to Founder: The Story Behind Face of Streetkids Society

Before Sifa Favor founded Face of Streetkids Society, before he became known for rescuing children and helping young people return to school, he was a child trying to survive on the streets himself.

During an appearance on NTV’s Fixing the Nation on Mashujaa Day, Sifa shared the childhood experiences that shaped his work with street-connected children across Kenya.

His story began with loss. Sifa lost his father when he was just one year old and his mother when he was five. After her death, he was sent to live with relatives, but the home he went to did not provide the safety and care a young child needed.

By the age of eight, Sifa was working on other people’s farms, looking after livestock, and trying to earn enough money to return to school. After a violent incident left him injured and afraid for his life, he fled. A woman who intervened when he was in danger helped him escape, and his life on the streets began.

For the next 12 to 13 years, Sifa moved between towns across Kenya, including Kitale, Eldoret, Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Nairobi.

But even while living on the streets, he held on to the idea that his circumstances did not have to determine his future.

At around 10 years old, he began selling kangumu, using the money he earned to pay his school fees. He had attended numerous primary schools as he moved between places, but he continued trying to get an education while finding ways to survive.

Then something else began to take shape.

Sifa noticed other children living on the streets and struggled to accept that they, too, should have to grow up without an opportunity to go to school. He used some of the money he earned to help a young girl enrol in school. With just KSh 200, the two approached a head teacher and pleaded for a chance.

It was an early sign of the work he would dedicate much of his life to.

Sifa also began saving money from his small business. Rather than having a bank account, he dug a hole near the place where he lived and buried his savings there. After nearly two years, he dug up the money with the help of people he trusted. He recalled counting KSh 1.8 million.

Yet, as he explained during the interview, the money was not simply an opportunity to improve his own life. He used what he could to support children with food, clothing, and school fees.

His journey out of street life was not straightforward. He described being rescued more than once before finding lasting support from Reverend Dr. Joseph MCO, whom he regards as a father figure. That support helped him pursue a different path.

Today, through Face of Streetkids Society, Sifa works with street-connected children and vulnerable families across Kenya. During the interview, he spoke about the importance of understanding why a child is living on the streets rather than assuming that a meal or a one-time rescue is enough.

For Sifa, meaningful intervention begins with patience, trust, and listening. Children may need rehabilitation, counselling, education, family tracing, or support that addresses the circumstances that pushed them onto the streets in the first place. Without understanding those circumstances, a child may return to the same environment they were rescued from.

He also discussed the organisation’s community outreach work, including door-to-door engagement with families to understand their challenges and help prevent children from ending up on the streets.

The work is personal. Sifa knows what it means to lose family, struggle for an education, and grow up without the stability many children take for granted. His experience does not mean every child’s story is the same, but it has shaped the patience and commitment he brings to the work.

During the conversation, Sifa also shared the scale of the organisation’s efforts, including feeding children, supporting education, arranging rehabilitation, and helping people find a path back into their communities.

His message was clear: rescuing someone from the streets is only the beginning. What follows must give them a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives.

The conversation on Fixing the Nation offered viewers a closer look at the experiences behind Sifa’s work and the reasons he continues to show up for people whose struggles are often overlooked.

Watch Sifa Favor’s full conversation on NTV’s Fixing the Nation: [https://youtu.be/Yx_cBAuLepk?si=UIMEMjeYqTV8J707]