Today we visited Canaan Primary School. The schools here have classes P1-P7 for elementary school. They don't necessarily go by age, but P1 is first grade and so on. At the end of P7 they take an exam and if they don't pass they cannot move on in school, they can't get a job, and they are pretty much worthless at that point. They cannot retake the exam under the same name so if they do want to retake it they have to change their name. Because of all of this if they don't pass a grade they have to go back 2 grade levels. Canaan is a good school and they hardly ever have kids that don't pass the exam. It is also a cheap school so many kids attend, about 600. Each classroom has anywhere from 90 to 120 students (and only one teacher in each class!)
We went over this morning and acted out Bible stories for the younger classes. I prayed a lot the night before about this because the whole day was completely out of my comfort zone. I also prayed for divine appointments because I didn't feel like I would connect with any kids that day. We had no plan for the day, it was all just whatever came to us at the time. Luckily it went pretty well. The kids went out for a break around 11 and there are ladies that sell snacks in the yard. Hardly any kinds have money to buy them but a few are able to. When I was standing around I looked over and saw a child who looked like he was in complete liver failure, most likely from malnutrition. His eyes were bright yellow, his arms and legs were as skinny as sticks, and his abdomen was very large and round. He also looked like he might have hydrocephalus.He was standing alone, behind a pole, eating a little bundle of fruit. As kids saw him they came up and begged for his fruit and little by little he gave it all away. This child looked like he had barely eaten a day in his life and he gave everything he had away. I am continually humbled as I learn from these kids.
I immediately was drawn to this kid. Possibly because I tend to be drawn to sick kids but I could not get over the fact that he gave away his fruit. That afternoon I made sure to reach out to this child and get to know him. He was quiet and a little shy but every child fights over holding a mzungu's hand so it didn't take long for him to open up to me. His name was Kamya. I asked if he had a mom and a dad and he did. He lived at home with 4 brothers and sisters. His parents do not have jobs but they grow bananas and try to sell them. He does not eat at home. His first question to me was, "Can you take me to America?" If I could have taken him right there I would have. He then asked, "Will you be my sponsor?" I was so brokenhearted for this child. Through more questions I learned that he needs a lot of medicine but they cannot afford to go to the clinic because they can't afford the medicine. He also wanted me to give him something to take home to show his mom, so I wrote him a little letter.
He wanted to "escort" me back to the children's home and when we got back I told him I didn't know if I would see him again but that I would be praying for him always. I could not go to sleep last night because I couldn't stop thinking about him. I am praying so hard that God will provide for him. My heart breaks for him and the millions of other kids that are in that same situation every day. I truly believe that was a divine appointment and that both my life and Kamya's life were blessed by our meeting.
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