Sometimes, life gets lonely. You might feel like you don’t belong at school or work, or in the middle of a crowded room. But can you imagine the isolation of being an outcast in your family?
Dismas Wekesa was this kind of outcast.
The moment Dismas was born, he was fatherless and disabled. His mother had left his father to escape abuse and moved into the home of her deceased first husband’s mother. Is your head spinning yet? Hers was, and she was even more shocked to discover that Dismas was mentally handicapped.
Despite his disability, Dismas’ mother loved him and was determined to take care of him. She was also fortunate enough to have family around who could help take care of Dismas and his older brother and sister.
It seemed like everything would be okay. But when Dismas was four years old, his mother passed away. Without her as his advocate, Dismas was an outcast in a family that was not his own. He was an orphan, with no blood relatives and he had a mental disability that left him utterly defenseless.
Dismas’ older brother and sister were taken to live with an Aunt and Uncle, but they didn’t want to take Dismas into their home since he was not a full relation. So a local grandmother reluctantly took care of Dismas.
Out of the blue, the grandmother decided she had enough of taking care of a disabled child who wasn’t related to her, and she left Dismas on the streets.
Where can a boy like Dismas turn? His only hope was to visit the Kinship Church he had heard so much about over the years. Dismas went straight to the Emmanuel Kinship where Pastor Robert recognized him immediately and welcomed him with open arms.
Dismas has lived at Emmanuel Kinship Home ever since that day, and he is part of the family. He lives in kinship with brothers, sisters, and caregivers who help him to grow spiritually and physically. Pastor Robert hopes someday they will be able to help Dismas work through some of the issues with his disabilities.
You make it possible for children like Dismas, who have no one to defend them, to have a fighting chance.
