Imagine waking up at the age of six and discovering your family is missing! That's what happened to young Charles Mulli in his Kenyan hut one morning. He soon realized he had been abandoned(抛弃) by his very poor parents and seven siblings!
The child was forced to become a street beggar in order to make a living. Living a poor and hopeless life, he still dreamed of being an important man someday.
When Mulli turned 16, he walked for three days to Kenya's capital, Nairobi, in search of work.
In the years that followed, he tried many difficult jobs.
Mulli saved his money and bought a car, which he began using as a taxi in 1971. In time, he started a transportation service. The company, called "Mullyways," became quite successful. Mulli then went on to become the owner of an oil company.
All of his hard work turned Mulli into a millionaire and an important man. Yet his life would soon take another dramatic turn.
Mulli was becoming painfully aware of the growing number of homeless children in Kenya. Their faces were a haunting reminder of his own childhood. One day Mulli told his wife and children that he was to devote his life to taking care of street kids.
Soon the Mulli House was filled with 100 orphans(孤儿), but that was just the beginning! In 1989, Mulli and his wife opened the Mulli Children's Family (MCF). They provided children with food, clothes, medical care and an education. Most importantly, they offered something many of the kids had never experienced—parental love. In fact, the Mullis chose the name "Mully Children's Family" because their emphasis was on providing a family.
So far, MCF has helped more than 12,000 children through its MCF homes and community-based centers.
In evaluating his life, Mulli once said, "I believe you can make a difference to the world, one child at a time. As a child, I wanted to be important, but where I am now is important for mankind."
