There is hope for this new generation

bySylviaSuhr

520 followers

5 years ago

Good things are happening in Kenya

There is a new generation of youth arising that will change the face of Africa

Young people are being given opportunity to become entrepreneurs and enter into the world of business and the internet.

This is Davids story of how he started his life in a remote village and with help was able to rise and succeed. to university level.

My story (My Life as an Orphan in Kenya)

My name is David Otieno from Kisumu County, Muhoroni District,Ombeyi village. I'm 21 years old. I was born in a family of threechildren, two boys and one girl. I am the second born.

We used to stay in Nairobi (Kenya Capitol) while we were stillyoung but unfortunately we were forced to come back and stay at thevillage after my father died. We lived with our mother in the villageand the life was not easy since my mother was a casual worker,weeding people’s farms in the village. Most of the time we wentwithout food. Life was so hard on us, cruel and harsh!

We lived that life till 2002 when my mother also passed away. Wewere left orphans at that tender age and after the funeral of mymum, we were taken by mum's sister who lived nearby. In as much as welived with her, still life was not easy for she had five children of her own and she was a poor widow. We lived with her for some monthsand everyday life became more difficult for all of us. She was a veryloving person but could not do much for us as her family was veryneedy.

After that, I went with my brother to stay with our uncle (myfather’s brother) because by then, my sister had already been takenby another mum's sister who was living far away from our village.

At this time we started to feel lonely since no one would wish westep into his/her house for they knew that, we were only beggars offood since we were very hungry most of the time! We didn’t haveclothing and no blanket for us at night. Mosquito's were feeding onus and we were attacked my malaria often. I thank God we did not die!

At my uncle's we were being given left-overs for meals wheneverybody had eaten and was satisfied. Sometimes even if we asked forfood, when we are hungry, the only answer we could get is that, “Ididn't kill your parents so that you ask me for food”.

This used to make me very lonely, sad and shed tears. It made mewish my mother and father were still alive and could be there for useven though they were poor. I lost hope day by day and I was so muchhurting.

We dropped out of school and began to work at child labour for ourown food in the village. We would weed sugarcane and burn charcoalthough we could not do much since we were young. Life was terrible tous.

We persevered in that life until a certain woman came from nowhereclaiming that she was the first wife of my father. I didn't know herat all! But we were later informed by our relatives that she was thefirst wife of my father but she ran away from home before we wereborn. So after a while the community decided to build a hut for herso that we go and stay with her. At this juncture, we thought we willnot suffer any more. Little did we know how life will be?

We stayed with her for about one month then she decided to go andlook for a job in a nearby town. She left for town telling us thatshe would be sending us some money after a fortnight for our dailymeals. She did that only for one month and then she disappeared.

We were not getting any communication from her and we even wenteverywhere we could in the village looking for her because we thoughtwe now have another mother in her. We had to look for our own fooddaily and we could go to the farms and weed for people so that we mayget something little to eat. Sometimes we could go without food andat times we could also uproot slime ( a wild vegetable) and eat itfor breakfast, lunch and dinner for days.

We lived in that hardship life knowing that we had no hope, butevery Friday we could smile because we used to attend a night prayer(Kesha) at the Full Gospel Church nearby. I came to like the pastorthere because every time before he would preach, he used to singworship songs which I liked most. This made me like sitting in fronttoo.

One night he preached about widows and orphans. He said God lovesorphans and widows and I was amazed to know that God loves me when noone seamed to. I was really touched and that night I gave my life toGod.

After two weeks of my salvation, we decided to go and visit mygrandmother who was living in another village about 30 kilometresaway. My brother and I walked the distance while we kept on askingpeople where the village was. We had heard my mother’s sistersaying the name of the village when we were staying with her.

While at my grandmothers we were attending a church in a nearbyvillage since I was now born again. Here at my grandma place is whereI met Pastor Joshua’s wife Pamela when she came to visit mygrandmother. I told her about my plight and she had compassion forme. She went with me to HOE Grace Home Homa Bay. This was when thevision of HOE was just being founded and I am the first born amongthe HOE Grace seed orphans.

I began living with Pastor Joshua’s family in late 2007 untiltoday, many children have joined me here. I was enrolled atShauriyako Primary school in class six and did my Kenya Certificateof Primary Examination there and I passed. I was selected by theGovernment ministry of Education to join St. Ambrose High school inHoma Bay where I did my four years of High school and sat for theKenya Certificate of Secondary Education in 2013 and I passed.

All my school fee and needs were being provided by Heaven on EarthMinistries and I appreciate and thank HOE partners who have supportedthe ministry to support and provide for me.

I Joined Coast Institute of Technology 2nd September2015 where I studied Diploma in Information Communication Technologyand completed November 2018. I thank HOE Ministries for theirsupport, accommodation and prayers, this is my family. I have beenstaying here since then and still do and it will always be my home, Ilove it here. They supported me in my Education from primary up toCollege level.

It is my prayer that this Home continues to be a home to thehomeless, needy orphans and vulnerable children the same way it hasbeen for me.

I love to identify with HOE Ministries and it is a place that isthe will of the Almighty God because there is hope in God.

THANK YOU LORD THAT YOU BROUGHT ME HERE!

My urgent need and Prayer

I am in an urgent need and prayer to continue with my College formy Bachelor’s Degree in IT or even start a business (Cyber Cafe) sothat I may support other needy and vulnerable children and restoretheir hope the same way mine was restored. I know with God all thingsare possible.

To God be all the glory for restoring my life and hope!

David Otieno
Kenya