Dan

Damiano (Dan) is the Restart social worker. He is one of the original Restart team and has a very interesting history. He was born to a very poor family in Kenya and his father was murdered when he was 10 years old. Dan dropped out of school before he was 12 yrs old, unable to read and write. He went onto the streets to try his luck at begging and got caught up in the world of drugs and alcohol. 
Eventually he was arrested for drugs offences and was sentenced to 3 yrs imprisonment. He believes that being arrested probably saved his life. Whilst in prison he began the process of recovery and turning his life around.
After his release Dan moved to Gilgil as he had a relative living there. He begged a local primary school teacher to help him learn to read and write properly, he wanted to help the community and change his ways. He went to classes to learn and eventually worked as a cook at another children’s home in Gilgil. It was through the owner of this home that he was introduced to Mary Coulson as she was in the process of setting up the  Restart orphanage. Dan initially started helping out on a voluntary basis by teaching the children to paint. Painting is one of Dan’s passions. Dan was eventually taken in on a full time basis. He now has a diploma in psychological counselling, he is a qualified social worker, and is trained in HIV and aids consultation. Over the next couple of years Dan will be completing a part time degree course in psychological counselling.
He is involved in the welfare and the psychological support of the Restart children who all come from traumatic backgrounds full of all kinds of abuse. Because of his background he can relate to what they have been through. Dan is responsible for the admission and integration processes of new children coming to Restart, as well as the repatriation process for children who sometimes go back to their families. He is also involved in selecting which children can come into Restart from the street, which is a heartbreaking job.
Dan also works in the life skills programme that Restart runs for children on the street to help them gain basic life skills. He also provides support groups for adults in the slums to help prevent future abuse of children.
Restart has helped Dan become the wonderful person he is today. He is a true ambassador of the charity.