BlogStory of the Week
Francis Sande said, “My mum and dad are separated, my father has remarried three times, my father’s latest wife doesn’t like me. My mum is also remarried but she could not take me with her into her new home.” Sande was left in no man’s land. Sande thought that the streets would offer him an alternative life out of his misery. On the streets, he appeared dizzy and sleepy…But his desire to learn was evident… ‘’I would like to go back home and resume learning but the hindrance is my stepmother!’’ As TKW team continued chatting with him, they realized that he was really serious and focused; going back to school was his priority. His aspirations matched TKW’S vision and mission – educate a child and empower him for life.
Sande looked dirty and had a stench which could scare anybody who dared come close to him. He also appeared dizzy and sleepy as a result of consistently using glue to numb his pain and sleeping in uncomfortable places on a cold floor at night. Even in this state, Sande clearly meant every word that came out of his mouth. We decided to give him the chance of going back home. We held his hand as he led us to his father’s home.
Sande’s father has married three different wives at different intervals and each one of them has left him. His current wife comes from a different tribe and came with two beautiful girls. When Sande’s mother parted ways with his father, she remarried but she could not take Sande with her. Her new husband’s tribe dictates that a child belongs to the father therefore in case of irreconcilable differences; the child has to be left with the father. The mother can keep in touch with her children, but she cannot live with them in her new marriage.
It is unsettling for the children and some of them like Sande end up on the streets. That’s where people like you and the TKW Team come to bring hope that their dreams can come to true. Children have to contend with these challenges which the family institution faces especially in a polygamous marriage.
Light at the end of a dark tunnel – There was a happy reunion with Sande and his father. His father agreed to take full parental responsibility for his son, but they need our ongoing support to see Sande fully restored.
This is your opportunity to join hands with us to bring hope to more children and restore families. Wouldn’t you want to be identified with a Team that is making significant changes in the lives of destitute children like Sande. Every child in a secure, peaceful and restful place is our dream.
