Imagine waking up in a hospital all alone, with no one you know in sight. You’re just a kid. A rooster crows, and the sound of boda bodas, motorcycles, rumble in the distance. The hospital is sparse, the halls long and cold, mosquitoes shifting in and out through the doorless entryway. Where is my family? you wonder. Last you knew, you were with your loving family. Then, somebody came in the night. They took you away. And they left you here.
This was the scary experience of a young girl named Julia* just a few weeks ago. She was abandoned at the hospital, likely because of her disability. When Ekisa received the referral from the hospital, an Ekisa social worker picked Julia up and took her to Ekisa to be cared for. In the meantime, Ekisa social workers diligently searched for any traces of her family. Then, they found them.
Within a week, Julia’s grandparents were located. They had been eagerly looking for Julia themselves after her birth mother had taken her away. The mother had been missing for a long time, but she appeared one day and convinced the grandparents that she was ready to care for Julia on her own. Hopeful that it could work, the grandparents allowed the mother to take Julia. But once again, Julia was left behind.
After Ekisa social workers verified the situation, the grandparents were called to come get their granddaughter. They rushed to Ekisa. When Julia saw her grandmother walking up, a huge smile stretched across her face. She was reunited with family.
Julia and her grandparents went home that day with joy, a few gifts, and as a family once again.
Now, that's something to celebrate.