Victor Justine Mapendo

Victor is 15 years old and comes from Simanjiro, near Arusha. When he was 11, his parents divorced and his father remarried. Victor and his step-mother did not get along. Like many step-parents in Tanzania, Victor’s step-mother wanted her own children to receive any inheritance left after she and her husband passed away. Victor, being the oldest boy in the family, stood in the way of that.

He lived with his uncle for a while, but Victor’s basic needs could not be met by his uncle’s small income. So, Victor ran to the streets in search of work. What he found was hunger, freezing evening temperatures, and loneliness. After a year and a half on the streets Victor met one of Amani’s street educators and agreed to come to Amani.

Amani’s social workers are working with Victor’s step-mother and father and are hopeful that a reunification will be possible. In the meantime, Victor is enrolled in school at Amani. He enjoys playing football (soccer) and wants to learn how to drive a car.