“Life was hectic,” expressed Odetta, a 38-year-old mother in Rwanda.
Not only does she have her hands full raising four kids, ages three to 12, she also serves as the full-time caregiver to her 14-year-old brother, Ildephonse.
Ildephonse needs help walking, and with Odetta and her husband always being occupied with providing for the family’s needs, he would usually be confined to their modest home.
“I wished to go to school and play with other children of my age and my friends, but I could not because I could not easily walk to them, which used make me feel lonely,” lamented Ildephonse.
“Whenever he mentioned that to me, I would feel very sorry for him,” said Odetta through tears. Although she longed to help, she just didn’t have the time needed to get him to school each day, nor could she afford a wheelchair for him.
But thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Ildephonse received a new wheelchair in 2019, through our distribution partner, Food for the Hungry.
With mobility, Ildephonse can now get something to eat by himself when he’s hungry, and he can go outside to socialize with his neighbors. You’ll often find him outside, cracking jokes with his friends.
Most importantly, Ildephonse was finally able to start going to school. “I was attending (third grade) before the COVID-19 outbreak, and that was what I most wanted,” he told us. His sister was thrilled that his dream came true, grateful and relieved that he now has hope for a better future, which she had been praying for.
“God is really great and has never abandoned the needy ones,” said Ildephonse. He expressed his gratitude to all involved for “extending love and hope to others who seem hopeless.”
Your generosity helps make dreams come true. When you give the gift of a wheelchair, you can be an answer to someone’s prayer.
Would you consider giving a gift today?
