Hannington Odhiambo

Hannington Odhiambo is a 15 year old boy who has run into some rough times. Peter was ready to kick him out of the program because he kept running away from home, skipping school, and had a terrible attitude so I was told. I spoke with him two weeks ago about how he was behaving and acting and I think I got through to him. I asked the case workers not to speak while I was talking with him other than to translate at times. I told him that for the next two weeks he had to go to school early, do all his school work, and help his step mother out when she asked for help. I'm not sure what exactly I said to get through to him but he went to school for the past two weeks every day, did all his school work, participated in class, did his chores, etc. Murathi (the principal at his school, Nelson Mandela Academy) told me that he is a changed boy. I think one thing that may have helped him was that I told him he needed to stop acting like a child and making childish decisions and start being an adult. I will be checking up on him every once in a while while I'm here and I am planning on writing some letters to him once I'm back in America, just to keep track of him and make sure he's continuing this new path. No child should have their education taken away from them, especially one that I believe is just misunderstood.