22 Oct Faces of Children of Hope | Meet Sammy
Part of the Children of Hope ethos is to care deeply and give back to our community in Kenya. Besides raising kids and providing them with an opportunity to thrive in both of our homes, we try to be involved and play a role in the development of the towns that have welcomed us.
God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
2 Samuel 22:33
It was through one of our free medical clinics in the town of Kitalale that we had the fortune to meet our sweet boy Sammy. This month, we share his story!
Sammy plays an intricate role in our Kitalale home. Throughout these years, he’s become the unofficial messenger of our Kitalale home – relaying messages back and forth between staff. This 13 year old loves to take pictures and can frequently be found negotiating to play photographer with any available phone.
As an organization, we’re fortunate to get year-round support from several mission groups across the U.S. Some groups visit us with lots of energy, charisma and bags overpacked with toys. Others are able to provide medical, dental and vision assistance thanks to their background and expertise.
When we first crossed paths with Sammy at the one free week-long medical clinic we held for the people of Kitalale, we learned he had gone through a period of neglect where neither of his divorced parents were at capacity to provide for him physically or emotionally. It was a neighbor to the father that brought him to be seen by our doctor as he was concerned that Sammy had an illness and needed treatment. Sammy had developed a condition known as kwashiorkor causing him to have swelling in his belly, legs and head which he was treated for with physical therapy, nutrients and plenty of care.
Due to his circumstance, our social worker along with the local Children’s Department proceeded with an investigation into his home situation and determined he was at risk and would be best for him to join our family the following week.
Sammy is now a tall strong boy who is always smiling despite his occasional temperament. He knows his boundaries and is able to identify when he needs the space and time alone to calm himself down. Something to note about Sammy is that you can always find him looking after the young ones – he particularly enjoys making sure they are having fun and are safe. Because of this level of care and commitment, he has earned the respect of not only the younger kids but also the aunties and uncles who know he’s available to help whenever they need an extra hand.
When Sammy first came to us, he hadn’t been in school yet. We enrolled him in speech therapy to help him catch up with the rest of the kids in levels of cognition. School has been challenging for Sammy but he has worked very hard and pushed through to continue growing and becoming the best he can be. It was a great day of excitement when he graduated into the first grade and we were all there to celebrate him!