Smiling Sarah

If you met Sarah today, she would most likely greet you with a glowing smile.  As she often says, “It [her smile] is a testimony to what tumaini (hope) has brought in my life.”  Although only twenty-five years old, Sarah’s life journey has been full of many twists and turns. Listening to Sarah narrate her past brings both tears and joy. 

Sarah vaguely remembers her mom. She says, “My mum passed away when I was very young; I never got to know her. I don't have any memory of her; I only see her photos”. After their mom’s passing, her dad took care of her, and her siblings and Sarah thought life was back to normal. But that feeling was short lived because several years later, her dad re-married and life was never the same. Since her dad had a bigger family to take care of with diminishing resources, things were becoming worse. Then, her dad suffered a stroke making him completely paralyzed before later passing away. This sad turn of events led Sarah to develop very low esteem, depression, and later suicidal thoughts.

"Several times I tried to take my life, but each time I failed. I was forced to leave home and start living with one of my sisters who was not financially stable. I was just crushed and broken and torn within.  I had lost hope in this life."

As she moved from one home to another while going to school, her situation became financially unclear and ambiguous. Because Sarah had good grades, struggling to pay for school was even more frustrating. Sarah saw nothing but hopelessness in her future. With her signature smile, she remembers what happened next,
“Tumaini came in and gave me tumaini (hope). Tumaini paid all my school fees balance for my first two years and cleared the rest two years. I'm so grateful to Tumaini for giving me hope when I had completely lost it. I'm forever grateful to Tumaini.”

Sarah did very well in high school.  During that time, her faith deepened and she found opportunities to serve. Sarah worked as an intern in our field office while waiting to join a medical training college. She successfully qualified as a Registered Community Health Nurse and now works as a nurse at the Tumaini International Medical Clinic in Masii. It is a joy to have watched Sarah become the person she is today. She has truly found hope. 

Tumaini sponsorship gave Sarah hope when life seemed all but over. The sad truth is that even as you read this story of hope, there are many “Sarahs” in streets of Kenyan cities and villages waiting for their day of hope.  I am confident that Tumaini can and will help every “Sarah” out there.

Thank you for your support. Let us continue providing hope to children like Sarah where there was previously no hope.  Sponsor a child today

Stanley Mutunga, 
President/CE