I met Peter last year when he was in my Primary One class (first grade) at Essuubi Eppya Vocational Primary School. He looked so miserable. I gave him a seat right at the front near me. Within some few minutes he would fall asleep and he was seriously snoring, I tried to wake him up to do some exercise but he couldn’t wake-up only to realize that he couldn’t write anything and he was also left handed. I talked to the pre-school teachers that he could be put there but it couldn’t happen because their class was full and he was also too old to be there at 7-years-old.
All I did was to befriend him and I started holding his hand as I taught him how to scribble and write some letters. This continued for some weeks and he started writing. After school I could go with him to my house where he was picked from in the evening because he comes from about 6km from the Kasana Children’s Centre site. Another student offered to be helping to bring him as he was coming to school. Peter had so many jiggers in the hands and in the legs. His performance wasn’t good; his attendance was irregular most of the times because if the student who walked with him was not in school he wouldn’t come either. This is the situation we were in first and second term.
When term 3 came, the whole first week Peter didn’t appear to school. Second week he came on Tuesday and again he was very miserable. He said the student who brought him wasn’t coming to school so he couldn’t also come because of the distance. This time I felt my heart was bleeding for this boy. So I just made a decision to try and have him for third term in my house. I talked to Childcare Extension and to my husband whom I praise God responded positively. This time Peter had even more jiggers than ever before and those who saw him got scared. God gave us grace and right now the jiggers are gone, he is happy, and even his performance at the end of the school was much better. He passed three subjects which to me was like a miracle, not only that but above all he gave his life to Christ, he has learned to pray for his life and his family situations.
God is good! He sets the lonely into families. This year Peter is no longer living with us. He is now part of one of the seven family groups at Kasana. He is able to come to school early, he looks smart and healthy. The smile on his face can tell that God is at work in his life. He loves school and playing with his friends. I give the glory back to God!
Ketty Okoth, teacher at Esuubi Eppya Vocational Primary School
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Photo courtesy of Wesley Steeb