Called to give street children hope

By Jeckonia Otieno

Charles Mulli founded one of the most successful children’s homes in Kenya; Mully Children’s Family. But before this success, he was a child abandoned by his parents. Later, he dreamt of seeking greener pastures in Nairobi, but he had no fare so he walked for three days to the city where he ended up living on the streets. At one point, he even contemplated suicide.

After being abandoned by his parents, a young man, then battling suicidal thoughts, started a long walk to freedom, unsure of where it would lead him.

Charles Mulli trekked all the way from Kangundo in Machakos County to Nairobi. Little did he know that this would mark the beginning of a journey that would see him become the father of thousands of destitute children.

Fast forward to May 17, 1995: A group of 15 boys was brought to Ndalani, Machakos County, much to the chagrin of the local residents.

Trangression

According to the locals, this was transgression of the highest order. How could anybody in his right mind bring street boys to their village? This, they said, would make all the children in the village behave like street children. They were wrong!

Mulli was just beginning a journey that would see him build a home for destitute children, giving hope to many who had nowhere else to go. This is the Mully Children’s Family in Yatta Constituency.

When 320 more children were transferred from Eldoret in December of 1995, tempers reached boiling point in Ndalani, but the man behind it all had a dream that he would not give up under any circumstance.

Having started from humble beginnings in Kangundo, Mulli has grown to be a household name not only in Yatta but also throughout Kenya, earning international acclaim along the way.

The honorary doctorate that he holds was awarded by Kabarak University in November 2011 for the selfless work that he has done over the years.

Mulli launched two books early this year. The books, Father to the Fatherless and Hope for the Hopeless, were authored by Paul Boge. The first book focuses on Mulli the man, while the second focuses more on the children who he has helped to rehabilitate.

Born 64 years ago, the pastor vividly recalls the reaction of the locals when he first brought the children to Ndalani.

“I was asked why I had brought terrorists to the village. It was so serious that I was even summoned by the provincial administration, which had serious concerns about the children lowering the standards of education in the area while influencing the children of Ndalani negatively,” reminisces the evangelist, a warm smile fixed on his face.

One Mission

But matters changed for the better when a year later, the centre’s school took first position in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam results in Machakos District.

“Many parents wanted to bring their children to join our school, but I declined because that would beat the purpose of why I started the centre,” Mulli says.

To him, the mission was one, and it was simple: To look after orphans and other neglected children in the society.

From those humble beginnings, the home has grown to be a power house academically and in co-curricular activities. For the past five years, the karate club has been at the top in the East African junior championships, and also won last year’s Madaraka Day championships.

At one time, Mulli recalls, the school was barred from participating in the district championships because they were regarded as outlaws who were not supposed to mix with ‘normal’ children.

“They said they could not mix with zangili (outlaws) because that would be dangerous,” says the ever-smiling evangelist.

From the centre, there are 96 students currently in local universities such as Kabarak, Catholic University, Daystar, JKUAT, University of Nairobi, Mt Kenya and Kenya Methodist. Seven more are studying nursing in Germany; one is studying aeronautical engineering in the USA; two are in Canada; one is in Australia, and another is a student in Sudan.

With a primary school, two secondary schools and vocational training centres, Mulli says that he is living a fulfilled life, a life spent to help other people. But where did it start?

Born to David Kaleli and Rhoda Mukina on January 7, 1949, Mulli lived a life of neglect during his childhood.

He confesses, “My father was a drunkard and quite rough.”

Poverty was the family’s badge as the boy faced one hardship after the other while growing up.

His parents even abandoned him to search for a better life, leaving him under the care of an equally impoverished aunt who did not have anything to her name yet had to support her children as well as Mulli.

Turning Point

Well-wishers helped Mulli through school. He went up to Grade Eight in 1966. At one point in time, the father to many even thought of ending his life forever because he wanted to further his studies but there were no opportunities. But change was on the way.

“One day a young man invited me to attend a youth rally and it is there that I gave my life to Christ. Before this, I didn’t know anything about God,” says Mulli.

After this, the young man felt that he was wasting his time in the village, so he decided to travel to Nairobi to find a better life. Without bus fare, the young Mulli walked from Kangundo to Nairobi, a journey that took him three days. He remembers drinking water from the trenches along the road.

On getting to Nairobi, he lived on the streets for a while. Tired of this life, one day he went to Kileleshwa, where he knocked on a gate. An Asian lady opened it and asked what he wanted, to which he replied he just needed a job, food and a place to lay his head. He got a job at Sh65 per month.

After a few years, Mulli was getting better jobs and better pay, which even enabled him to buy his first car, a Ford Cortina, KDN 270. He worked with Kakuzi and a German construction company before finally starting his own business.

He opened one business after another, and was doing well financially and raising his family before he plunged into the world of helping street children.

Biologically he is the father of eight children with his wife, Esther Nthenya — but he has been a father to over 7,000 children.

What would make a successful entrepreneur want to give everything up so that he cares for neglected children?

One day in 1986, Mulli who was then living in Eldoret, was in Nairobi on business. At the time, he was the owner of the bus company  now known as Eldoret Express and was in the city to sort out some legal documents for his buses.

After he parked his car, some street boys asked him for money for food, but he did not give them any, instead asking why he should give them money.

“I parked and locked my car and went into the office, but when I came back, it was gone. When I asked one of them where it was, he asked me if I had employed him to guard my car,” he recallss.

This changed Mulli’s perception of street boys and he realised that he had been called to offer them hope. Three years later, in November 1989, he began his ministry among the street children. He sold all his businesses, including the bus company and several shops, and channeled all his resources towards caring for the abandoned and neglected.

Homeless

At first, he cared for some children in a church compound in Eldoret, but the church threw him out because the children were dirty and homeless.

Mullli had no option but to care for the children on his own property in Langas Estate in Eldoret. This is where he hosted the first three children. The call to serve humanity had begun.

Currently, the home is caring for about 2,000 children, ranging from toddlers to those in university.

To Daddy Mulli, as they refer to him, seeing the children grow into responsible adults with careers and vocations is more fulfilling than amassing wealth for himself.