Esther was born on the side of the road to a Schizophrenic mother. Due to her poor mental health Esther’s mother often roamed the market with her baby and got her meals from the garbage dump. Esther’s mother lived with her grandmother who was also was suffering from mental health issues. These two women lacked the mental capacity to look after Esther and often left her unattended.
Esther’s mother and grandmother lived in a mud thatched hut with a leaking roof and broken door. Esther was often left alone for hours, hungry and crying in this hut while her mother went to the streets to look for food in the garbage dumps.
One day, a neighbor realized that she had not seen Esther’s mother or grandmother for two days. When she checked the hut, she found that Esther had been alone and screaming the whole time. She took Esther to the children’s department of Matisi who brought Esther to Ephraim Kinship for safety.
When she arrived at Ephraim Kinship, Esther was malnourished, and had to be taken to the hospital for a thorough health checkup. The doctors found that Esther was severely anemic and dehydrated. Esther was admitted to the hospital, and she responded well to the treatment. Within two weeks, she went back home to Ephraim Kinship.
Esther’s mother was also found and taken to a mental hospital so she could receive help. We pray that Esther’s mother will get better and one day be able to look after her little girl.
God is doing a great work in Esther. She joined the center as broken little girl who didn’t like affection and only liked to hold her teddy bear but now she’s learning to receive and give affection to the other children.
This story was reported by Elizabeth Soita, our storyteller in Kenya. There are so many children in our Kinships who were once left alone and vulnerable like Esther. We are so grateful to all those who support this mission through donations and prayer for these vulnerable children. Join them by making a donation to support Kinship United in continuing to rescue vulnerable children like Esther.
