David came to our school last year, bringing with him a story of challenges and hope.
Due to meningitis, David has been disabled since birth and before entering our school, he spent his days sitting in a ramshackle wheelchair outside a hut. His life took a different turn when a local UNICEF volunteer noticed him. Talking to his mother, he discovered that David wanted to go to school. Unfortunately, the two neighboring schools they had applied to did not accept it. In a context where classes number between 75 and 80 children, accommodating a student in a wheelchair represented a significant challenge.
When I was asked if it was possible to accept it in our school, my answer was immediate YES. Our goal is to ensure that all children, regardless of their difficulties, are able to receive an education.
When David joined our school, it was his first experience in the world of education. She should have attended kindergarten, she couldn't even hold a piece of chalk in her hand. However, I decided to put him in second grade to allow him to get to know his peers.
This choice was a challenge for both David and the teachers. As the school year went on, David surpassed all expectations. He learned to read and write and acquired fundamental mathematical skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. David's growth and progress has been a source of great pride for us all. Unfortunately, in May, his wheelchair broke permanently. From that moment on, it became difficult to carry it to school, so much so that we often had to carry it on our shoulders.
At the end of the school year, I left David and his family with the promise of finding a new wheelchair. Over the summer, I talked about his situation with an Italian-French girl. His reaction was immediate: it involved his parents, who took steps to get two wheelchairs. The chairs were donated and shipped to Italy, and I was able to take one with me to Africa.
When I brought the new wheelchair to David, I wanted to make the event special by decorating it with balloons, turning everything into a real party. Mom carried it behind her back, but when David saw his new chair, he began to cry with joy. Mom was very happy and kept thanking me, stressing that the chair had wheels suitable for African roads, made of dirt and bad. But thanksgiving wasn't meant for me. That gift was a gift from God, made through a girl in France who didn't know the road conditions here.
Watching this scene deeply honored and moved me. Seeing David's joy was an extraordinary experience, but it also frustrated me. How is it possible that in a place like ours there is no availability of a wheelchair? For us, who live in the West, it's a given, but not here.
His life reminds us that, although there are obstacles and difficulties, solidarity and love can make a difference. The story of David is a testimony to how great God's providence is.
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Desirée