Street couple refuse job offers and return to the streets

It was in the month of love last year when wedding photographer, Johnson Muchiri  of Muchiri Frames did a Valentine’s Day photoshoot with a street couple: Sammy Githae aka Blackie and Virginia Njeri.

He had transformed their looks by giving them a make-over and to add a cheery on top, he took them for a candle-lit dinner at a posh hotel in Westlands.

Muchiri took amazing shots of these two and posted them on social media much to the amazement of Kenyans especially on their transformation.

Within no time, their photos had gone viral and they became the hottest couple in town. Bonfire Adventures, a Travels and Tours company also gave them a three-day vacation in Diani. The couple was elated by that experience.

When they came back from their vacation, they did not return to the streets. Well-wishers had pooled resources in the hope of rehabilitating the couple and getting them off the streets for good.

Muchiri who spoke to Citizen Digital told them that Bonfire Adventures paid an upfront of five months house rent for two different houses which were also furnished by well-wishers. They couldn’t live together under one roof because they were not yet married.

For threee months, Blackie lived with a friend who was known as Farmer and who was pursuing a career in music. Virginia continued living alone during that period.

Everything was smooth sailing for those three months as donations kept coming in and gradually stopped.

According to Muchiri, Virginia ended up selling her phone and part of her household items. Blackie had also lost his phone and gave his landlord a vacate notice although rent was not due for the next two months.

The couple were also lucky to have landed jobs in a school in Bomet, Virginia as a cook and Blackie as a gardener. Their friend, Farmer was to also given a job in the security department.

However on the day of departure, Blackie is said to have refused to board the hired car. Virginia and Farmer had no choice but to embark on the journey without him.

A couple of months later, Virginia left the job she had been offered so that she could re-unite with the love of her life, Blackie. They are now united once again where their love stemmed from; in the streets.

In an interview with a local TV station, a bitter Blackie says that he is depressed when he remembers the Diani experience but has made peace with his current situation after the street family welcomed them back.

“Hakuna haja ya kupanda ndege halafu urudi tu hapa, hio safari nilienda inafanya nikae mwendawazimu ( I wish I never boarded a plane only to return to the streets, it makes me feel like a mad man),” laments Blackie.

Muchiri however maintains that he hid everything in his power to help the couple but the two were fixated on handouts.

Bonfire Adventure’s Managing Director Sarah Kabu also came out to clear their name via social media.