"Scouting changed my life"

For almost twenty years, this young man had never known the luxury of a warm blanket or a well-cooked healthy meal. For Dennilson Onsom, life was about sleeping in the cold and eating from the garbage pit of the Kisii town of the western part of Kenya. At one point he even moved to the streets of Nairobi with the hope of a better life, but this bore no fruits resolving to go back to Kisii.

It was during his return to Kisii that he was rehabilitated by Harambee for Kenya, an organization that rehabilitates street children. The founders of Harambee for Kenya, who are Scouts, introduced him to Scouting. Dennilson’s life was taking shape when he discovered his talent in soapstone carving and he decided to take a course in the same to perfect his trade.

Today, the 22 year old is a skilled soap stone carver and expresses his passion for Scouting by carving Scout items, including sculptures of Lord Baden Powell. The price for his artifacts ranges from 100 to 1500 Kenya shillings (1USD - 15 USD).