Dear Friends of Nyandengoh!
Over the past few months Nyandengoh! has continued to come alongside families of children with disabilities to encourage them during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has not always been easy to reach the children, as the rainy season makes the roads to some of the villages less accessible. August and September are the months that our staff gets to take some time off to rest. Sylvanus was the first one to go on leave and in his absence the other team members made sure “his” children continued to receive visits. Currently Abdulai is enjoying his leave.
In July we were saddened by the loss of one of our children, four-year-old Mariama Wahab. Mariama was one of the girls who received orthopedic surgery in November 2019, but the road to recovery was slow, and in the process we began to suspect there were other severe health conditions that were beginning to affect her body. Diagnostically there wasn’t much available for her in Sierra Leone, let alone the sophisticated treatments she most likely needed. The team has been with the family throughout her last hospital admission and in the days after her passing. The men on the team were able to attend the small Muslim funeral ceremony while Esther and Miatta supported the mother at home. We will always remember Mariama as one of the first children we got to serve through Nyandengoh!. Her older stepbrother Abu Bakarr, who has mild cerebral palsy, is still in our program.
From a young age, children in Sierra Leone help their parents around the house. For children with disabilities, this often is not possible due to physical limitations, or because people around them do not believe they are able to work. Over the past few months we have therefore been delighted to see an increasing number of children beginning to take part in daily chores. We want to introduce a few of them to you.
Mukeh is a boy with Down Syndrome. When we first met him, he was often wandering about and begging people for food. With help from Nyandengoh!, Mukeh started school last year and really has matured in his behavior. Sylvanus recently met him on the road as he was fetching water for his bath!
Christiana is a sweet girl who has learning difficulties and a speech impairment. She loves other children – she quickly learns their names and shows interest in them. The Nyandengoh! team encouraged her family to let her help with simple chores, so they were very glad when on a recent visit they met her washing dishes for her mother.
Mariama has cerebral palsy and is probably the most determined little girl in our program. She set her mind on walking, and in less than a year she has gone from sitting in a wheelchair to walking without assistance! Until recently, bending over was hard for her as she would lose her balance. But now that she has mastered that skill, she can be found sweeping the grounds around the house with a big smile on her face!
We are so grateful that these children are developing skills that will get them more and moreaccepted into their families and communities.
With Covid-19 travel regulations, the Yoders will most likely not be able to return to Sierra Leone before the end of this year. They are looking instead at the beginning of next year, and are hoping some others can come along as they are planning to start the pilot Nyandengoh! special education classroom. Contact us if you are interested in joining them!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!