Claire* spent 16 years of her childhood in an orphanage. Thanks to supporters like you, her mum Isheja* was able to get her daughter Back to Family.
When Claire was born with a disorder that affected both of her legs, her mother Isheja took her to numerous hospitals, doing everything she could to find treatment.
But the costs of care and travel were overwhelming – by the time Claire was three, she had been through five operations, and her father had abandoned the family. With no money left and no one to support them, Isheja was in despair.
But Isheja’s love for her Claire was unwavering – she refused to give her daughter up. So Claire’s father left the family, never to return.
A mother’s struggle
Left to raise Claire and her siblings all alone, Isheja struggled to provide for them. As the cost of Claire’s care grew ever higher, Isheja realised that it was impossible to look after Claire and provide her other children with the support they needed.
With no other options or support available to her, Isheja made the heartbreaking decision to place Claire in an orphanage.
The orphanage owners assured Isheja that Claire would be happy, get the medical care she needed, and have a good education.
“Everything was difficult”
At the orphanage Claire was lonely. There were no games, no radios, no joy or sense of childhood. Claire, a courageous and outspoken girl, often asked the nuns if they could buy them soccer balls or radios – anything to break the silence. But those requests were never answered.
Claire wasn’t allowed to visit friends and she often experienced anxiety. The emotional toll was deep. Claire spent 16 years living like that.
Dreams of home
The entire time she was at the orphanage, every day of those 16 years, Claire dreamed of returning to her mother. She never gave up hope, and when one day our Rwanda team – in partnership with Rwanda’s National Child Development Agency and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities – began working to return children in Claire’s orphanage back to their families, Claire knew she was finally going to get back home.
We worked with Isheja and Claire, preparing them both for Claire’s return – and in the meantime our staff bought Claire a radio so at last she could listen to music, laugh and dance.
Supporting the family
Claire’s family home was in poor condition, so to make it a safe place for her to return to, we worked with professional builders to rebuild the house to make it accessible and secure. We also helped the family access clean water and electricity, two things which they’d previously only dreamed about having.
“When the house was rebuilt, it was like a miracle,” Isheja says, “For a long time, we had no roof that didn’t leak, no electricity, no water… and I had lost hope. But now, we have all of that.”
In partnership with local organisations, we found Claire a place at a local school and provided her with school materials. We also provided the family with financial support which allowed them to buy beds and chairs, plus new glasses, crutches and medical support for Claire.
When all the work was completed, Claire and Isheja were finally reunited.
“I had always hoped this day would come, but I didn’t believe it ever would,” Isheja says. “For years, I cried in silence, wondering where my daughter was sleeping, if she had eaten, or if she was in pain. Today, I wake up and see her smile at home. That is a joy I cannot describe.”
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
