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While other children ran to school with laughter in every step, Valary remained locked inside her home, not out of neglect, but out of desperation. She was born in 2009 to Sharon, a 19-year-old mother whose love has weathered storms few could imagine. Valary was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and mental retardation, conditions that made her early years a daily battle.
Obunga is a community of sharp contrasts: resilience and deprivation, laughter and struggle. Most families live with limited access to basic services, and opportunities for children are often scarce. For those with disabilities, the challenges are even steeper. In this slum environment where disability is often misunderstood and stigmatized, Valary’s presence was met not with compassion, but isolation. Their hopes were dim.
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| Haddah (left) and Valary’s mom (right) as they recently met to get some supplies to Valary. |
In 2019, Valary was accepted into the Ndoto sponsorship program. She was enrolled at St. Martin De Porres Special School, where specialized care and structured learning began to nurture her potential. At first, Valary could barely sit still and her interaction with the world was minimal. Her days were marked by confinement and silence. But today, that narrative is changing.
During a recent visit to her school, as our staff regularly gets out to visit all of our students, we witnessed a new young lady. Valary now responds to her environment. She engages in activities with minimal prompting. Her health has improved thanks to consistent medical support and regular gifts of supplies to her mother, and her teachers speak of her with warmth and pride. Haddah, who leads not just the young sponsored ladies but also our special needs ministry, had tears in her eyes.
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| Valary with her teachers and Haddah (right) |
This is a story of what happens when love meets action. Behind every locked door is a child waiting to be seen, understood, and embraced. Special needs students need the extra honor that 1 Corinthians 12:23 talks about, and they’re every bit as worthy of Ndoto sponsorship as the most academically brilliant student that we have. In fact, Ndoto has just accepted a new student, Daniel, who also has cerebral palsy. Faith, sponsorship, and prayer is a powerful trio that can lift any young person to a new station in life.
