Kenyan man living on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee, has made an emotional plea for help to return home, and details now emerging paint a fuller picture of how he ended up destitute in the United States.
Nicodemus Emus Lochok, originally from Turkana County in northern Kenya, has appealed to fellow Kenyans and well-wishers after sharing a video in which he describes his current suffering and asks for assistance.
The video was posted on Facebook by a concerned well-wisher, who said Nicodemus’s situation is urgent and that someone should help him get back to Kenya.
In the footage, Nicodemus introduces himself clearly, naming his family and stating his home county. He also explains how long he has been in Nashville.
The way he speaks in the video shows he is hoping that a relative or someone connected to his background will see the message and respond.
He told viewers that he has been living in the streets and needs help to survive and to return home.
“My name is Nicodemus Emus Lochok, I am from Northern Kenya, Turkana County. I have been in Nashville for seven years. I’m homeless and looking for help,” he said in the video.
According to information shared through his Facebook page and earlier reports by Turkana County News Online, Nicodemus’s journey to the United States began through a relationship that later changed his life.
The reports say a woman identified as Renee Jordan Emus, who was believed to have been on a church mission in Turkana, reportedly met and fell in love with him.
It is said that with her help, Nicodemus’s passport and travel documents were processed, and the two later relocated to the United States.
The same sources also connect Nicodemus to Turkwel Boys School in Turkana, where he is reported to be an alumnus of the class of 2015.
While his early life and schooling are mentioned to show who he is and where he comes from, the current reality he describes is very different.
He says that despite the move, he ended up without stable shelter or support, surviving in difficult conditions on the streets of Nashville.