The Streets Whispered, but Hope Answered – A Story for Maria Juwawo

Maria thought had lost all her life, her parents were taken too soon, the father of her child had gone before he could see their baby grow, leaving her to navigate the harsh streets alone. The city had become her world, its unforgiving corners a place where survival meant fighting for every scrap, shielding her little one from cold nights and empty days.

“I am a 17 years old girl who left my home village Thyolo with my sick mother to the hospital (Queens Elizabeth central) hoping for the best results. I was pregnant by then , in no time I lost my mother and none of my relatives takes care of me , later gave birth to this child who is now a year and 5 months old , I also lost the father of the child , I beg in Limbe for my survivor and the survivor of my child , it’s also unfortunate that the little I get from begging other boys in the street beats me and collect what I manage to get ,some forces me to have sexual relations with. I sleep with my child at Kapenga in Limbe with no beddings (not even a small blanket). If there can be a provision of school or any small business, it can help me to raise my child and help us survive.” She explained.

But hope arrived unexpectedly at a consultation meeting on street children strategy that CYO organised on 15th of April 2025 with support from Save the Children International through the Youth-Led Organization Investment fund, where voices advocating for change filled the space, and people saw her not as just another forgotten soul, but as a mother struggling to give her child a future.

Among them stood the Good Samaritans, hearts wide open, hands ready to lift her from hopelessness. They listened to her story, saw her strength, and in an act of pure kindness, took her and her child into their home, offering warmth, stability, and a chance to dream again. No longer just a name lost to the streets, Maria stepped into a new chapter, where love reigned over loneliness, and where her child could grow not in survival, but in hope.