We’ve all seen them—the homeless beggars who stand near stop lights and on the streets of the downtown, asking passerby’s for change.
Some people give them money or buy them a meal. But most scoff under their breath, or turn the other cheek, assuming that any money given to this poor person will automatically go to drugs or alcohol.
In the United States, we’re used to seeing grown people begging for money and food. But in countries all over the world, many children are the ones out begging for survival.
John Thuo is one of those children.
The young boy from the streets of Nairobi, Kenya, has spent years collecting change from people passing by.
It’s no way to live, but it’s all John had ever known, and with no family to properly care for him, the orphan was alone in the world.
One day, John approached a car to ask for money. But as the driver rolled the window down, the young boy was alarmed by what he saw.
32-year-old Gladys Kamande was driving in her car, hooked up to the tubes and breathing machines that keep her alive. Gladys explained to John that her lungs had collapsed, so she had to rely on oxygen tanks to keep her functioning.
In that moment, little John was moved to tears. He grabbed Gladys’ hand through the window and with his heart of gold, decided to give her all of the money he’d been given that day.