(They had somehow glued long black fibers, what I suspect were pieces of a discarded weave, to their faces. The result was truly horrifying.)
Note for the folks at home: "Street children" are a daily reality across Kenya, more common in urban than rural areas (but existing throughout.) These kids may have several reasons for living unaccompanied by adults. Many may be orphans, which of course is common due to the several life-threatening diseases of the region (notably: Malaria, HIV/AIDS), but a large number of street children do in fact have parents. These children have left home, in many cases, because of scarcity of food. Several factors may induce this; including drought-borne famine, enormous family sizes, and tribal violence; none of which, of course, are new problems. Many locals point to the westernization of communities that causes families to turn away children, of parents unable to give proper care, who they would otherwise care for as one of their own. Whatever the cause of the children's situation, street children face a hard life that more often than not leads to begging, stealing, and drug use (most notable being the huffing of paste fumes, giving them their second name: "Glue Kids".)