My Name is
Sumaya
Sumaya
Sumaya's father died when she was a young child, and her mother started living with another man who was unwilling to care for her. She was then considered abandoned by social welfare before arriving at the Rafiki Village Uganda in 2005. Now, Sumaya is doing well in math, biology, English, and literature. She enjoys math and biology because she is interested in numbers, problem solving, and nature. Sumaya says that education is the key for her future, and she knows that she must strive to master all her subjects. She knows God loves and cares for her, and she marvels at the fact that God also cares for all of creation. Sumaya continually prays not to conform to the world but to be transformed by the renewal of her mind.
DOB: Oct 10, 2001
Eva
Eva and her brother Lemmy were living with their grandmother, who attempted to feed the children on a daily basis but often was not able to.
Jane
Before coming to Rafiki, Jane lived with her mother. Due to her mental condition, Jane's mother could not properly care for her.
Tumsifu
Tumsifu was abandoned at birth and spent his first five years of his life at an orphanage in Tanzania.
Darris
Darris's parents were killed during the conflict in the Ivory Coast.
Winnie
After her mother died, Winnie was sent to live with her uncle.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem's (Betty's) mother abandoned her to go find work and left her with a neighbor.
Laurine
Laurine’s parents died in 2006, and she and two other children were cared for by her grandmother who was 96 at the time.
Caleb
Caleb’s parents died when he was four years old, and his relatives were unable to care for him because they are impoverished and relied on...
Violet
Violet's mother died in childbirth, and her father died just a year later.
Joe
Joe was placed in the care of an uncle after his mother and father died in 2010.
Frankson
Frankson and his older sister, Ariet, were orphaned when their mother died in 2009.
Annie
When Annie’s parents passed away, she was placed in the care of her aunt.
Blessed
Blessed’s mother abandoned her four days after her birth at the Kakamega Provincial General Hospital.
Scovia
Scovia’s parents died within two years of each other, and their cause of death is unknown.
Hana
Hana’s mother died in 2008, and her father remains unknown.
David
At eight months old, David was abandoned in a suburb of Kampala, Uganda.
Prisca
Day students are children in need from the communities surrounding the Rafiki Villages who attend our Rafiki Schools with full scholarships or...
Peter
Both of Peter’s parents were killed during religious riots that occurred in 2004 in a village about two hours away from Jos, Nigeria.
Tendo
After Tendo and her two sisters, Christina and Peace, were orphaned as small children, they lived with their grandmother for a time.
Karen
Day students are children in need from the communities surrounding the Rafiki Villages who attend our Rafiki Schools with full scholarships or...
Theresa
Theresa’s mother died within days after giving birth to her and her twin sister, Josephine.
John
Day students are children in need from the communities surrounding the Rafiki Villages who attend our Rafiki Schools with full scholarships or...
Leah
Leah has been an orphan since 2003.
Aaron
Aaron was abandoned as a small child near a police station.