Why Build?
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT...
For just one moment imagine that you are a 7-year-old girl with a 3 year-old-sister and you are living with your parents and happily playing every day in your village. You begin to notice that your parents are getting sick and not feeling well. They get sicker and sicker and finally they are not able to get out of bed. You are so worried and sad. One day they die. You are then left alone with your 3-year-old sister. The village is worried that you and your sister have AIDS and that you will spread it so they keep a distance from you. All of a sudden your life is no longer carefree, safe, and playful. Your life is now figuring out how to take care of yourself and your sister. You put her on your back and secure her there with a cloth tied around you both and start to walk the streets because you have no other place to live. There is no way for you to get food and you cannot even think about school. You are constantly approached by truckers with offers of food in exchange for sex. Seeing no other option, you must take care of your little sister and you are so hungry, you take these offers but with every offer your smile fades even more and the light in your 7-year-old eyes starts to dim. Life is very quickly losing all meaning, you are tired and hungry, and the heartbreak you feel over your parents' death is overwhelming. You are losing all hope.
Then, one day you are brought from the streets to the Nkabom Centre in Okurase. You and your sister are welcomed by a family and you have your own bed to sleep in. You bathe and feel clean for the first time since your parents died. You are given a good meal and you begin to have food every day. You have clean water to drink every day. You have clothes to wear that fit you. You are surrounded by adults who take care of you and show you love, support, and caring. You have a playground to play on and you make friends. Importantly, you begin to go to school and start to read and learn new things. You learn to operate a computer. You are taught to dance and sing traditional songs. You and your sister start to gain weight and be healthy again. You feel safe and you begin to feel happy and like you belong. You still miss your parents. You will always miss your parents but you know they are not coming back. People are around to talk with you about how you feel. You get to be a child again. You begin to heal. There is hope again.
The first part of this scenario is an accurate description of what happens to many children in Africa. The second part describes what we are doing about it - why we are building.
JOIN WITH US - TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
