 Sifa's aunt took in his brother and sister but because she could not afford to support him as well, he began living with a neighbor.Living in the same village where his family had been murdered was emotionally difficult for Sifa, so he ran away and became a street orphan.For six years Sifa survived on the streets by singing for strangers on the streets for change, assisting merchants, carrying luggage, and gambling at marbles with other street kids.