Kizito was born 2006 & lost his parents in 2010 to HIV/AIDs. He was then raised by his grandmother with eleven other children. The family had obvious difficulties in getting enough food for all of them, so soon some of the children began to steal food from nearby families. Kizito particularly was considered to be a community problem, since he would even fight other children and steal food from neighbors most often. He was eventually referred to Project Hope by a pastor from one of the churches in his community.
When he came to Calo Me Lare, his attitude and mindset did not change immediately and he still caused a lot of issues. He rarely listened to anyone and would fight the other orphans over anything. He argued in class and was defiant toward his superiors.
But instead of constant discipline or sending him away, the staff and house mothers took special interest in him and his understandable yet frustrating tendencies. His behavior has slowly changed through counseling, spiritual nurturing and even by following the example of many of his peers.
Now he is known as one of the most lovable boys in his house at Calo Me Lare, and a definite future leader! He is always truthful, active in class and does his chores with a positive attitude. In turn, this has pushed him to excel academically and socially as well. He is a highly intelligent boy who loves to build relationships and discover new things.
When the staff last visited his home village over the holiday season, the grandmother reported: When Kizito visits, his demeanor has changed drastically compared to the other children from the area, performing tasks with minimal supervision and always has a positive attitude. She also stated she honestly expected him to still be a thief, but instead has shown himself to be a valuable help to her and her surrounding community when he visits from Calo Me Lare.
When you take the time to invest in someone fully, you never know what beautiful life-change may come of it. It always has the potential to create real and lasting impact. Sponsorship creates that opportunity to fully invest in the life of someone like Kizito who truly needed it!