Staying Together
“A Father to the Fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:5
Shamira couldn’t contain her emotions during our parent meeting in January as she expressed her gratitude for all the ways her family had been provided for. 22 year-old Shamira isn’t a parent, but she is the oldest sibling of five orphans who lost their mother in 2015. She graduated from a tailoring program in 2021 and has been doing a paid internship in Kampala to further her skills before opening her own business. Meanwhile, her younger siblings are staying with grandparents, or boarding at school.
In talking with Shamira, you can see the weight of responsibility as she truly just wants to be with her siblings full time. The bond between these five children is deep, especially after losing both of their parents. One of the children, Samuel, has special needs and will require care for the rest of his life. But when you ask his siblings, they say that it is not a burden to them to care for Samuel, but a joy. Samuel makes it clear that he prefers to stay with his brother and sisters and he knows he is loved by them.
About a year ago, we realized that Samuel could no longer attend traditional primary school. He was getting older and he was experiencing discrimination by the older children. We began brainstorming what we could do to help his siblings have a sustainable income when Samuel graduated from Hope Africa. Thankfully, this family inherited two small plots of land in Kapchorwa and can build a simple rental house to earn income to support Samuel. While we do not usually get involved with building houses, we felt in these circumstances it would be a good way to keep Samuel in the place where he thrives the most, with his siblings.
Sponsorship is so much more than simply sending a child to school, or providing for their basic needs. It is about keeping families together whenever possible and giving hope in the most hopeless situations. It is about showing the love of Jesus to some of the most vulnerable people in the world, children.
Shamira is deeply grateful to her sponsor and to the sponsors of her siblings, giving them a way forward and the hope of Christ. You can read more of their story here and here.
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