Offer to Pay School Tuition : Students ‘Adopt’ Tent City Family

Segura Williams started his day at Los Angeles’ urban campground with a wide smile and new clothes. He wanted to look his best. Friday was his first day at school in a long time.

A group of students at the Sheenway School and Culture Center in Watts decided to “adopt” Segura and his family of 14 after reading an article in The Times. The youngsters agreed to pay the tuition of each student in the Williams family and promised to help them find a permanent home.

“I still can’t believe I’m here. I feel young again. This place turns me back into a kid,” Segura, 13, said as he looked around the classroom full of students.

“I’ve made so many new friends in just an hour,” said the new eighth-grader. “This is a heck of a lot better than the campground. You can run around and have fun. No more dust, glass and weird people.”

Segura has lived out of a pickup truck and station wagon for the last 38 days with his mother, four cousins, and eight brothers and sisters. He said they left their Louisiana home last month to escape death threats from his father and ended up in the homeless camp.

Tired of relying on others to fight for the homeless, Segura formed a group at the camp, which he calls Kids Helping Each Other. He has also addressed Los Angeles City Council members four times about conditions for the more than 75 children at the camp.

On Friday, his first full day of school, Segura spent most of the time getting to know the other students. He chased geese around the yard, swam at a local pool and painted pictures.

Segura’s new classmates said they were impressed with his efforts to help other children at the campground.

“He’s trying to make a difference,” said 7-year-old Eric Willis. “He’s a good friend. He’s helping his family, so we want to help him. I couldn’t believe he really went to City Hall. Wow!”

Alma Enriquez, 7, said she and her friends plan to wash cars, clean houses and bake food to raise the $50 weekly tuition required for each member of Segura’s family who attends the school.

Dorcas Allen, 12, said she was surprised by what she saw at the camp when she went to meet Segura.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “All the dirty tents, the bad language, the drugs and stuff. There was a man peeing on the ground and some other guy walking around in a bathing suit pretending to be a woman. I was scared. I don’t know how anyone could live there.”

Sheenway School Director Delores Sheen Blunt said she is proud of her students.

“I have complete faith in them. I know they’ll find a way to raise the money. They’re poor themselves, but they’re determined to help out,” she said. “If they learn nothing else here, at least they’ll learn to respect humanity.”