James’ Story: A Brilliant Mind Waiting to Be Heard

Recently, on a service trip to Nairobi, Kenya, I met the most remarkable young man. I’ll call him James.

James grew up in one of the poorest areas of Nairobi. Life has never been easy, but for James, there was an even greater challenge because he was born mostly deaf. We believe his hearing is minimal but he could be completely deaf we don't know, which is why we want to help find a specialist to assess his hearing needs. Because of this, he never learned to speak. Though he cannot communicate like most of us, his determination shines through in everything he does.

When James was younger, he survived by doing small chores in his community, like fetching water for neighbors. Eventually, he found his way to a local foundation that teaches vulnerable youth vocational skills. At first, the staff thought James should be placed in a simple domestic program. But James had other dreams. He wanted to join the electrical engineering group.

His teacher, Mr. Collins, was skeptical. In more than twenty years, Mr. Collins had never taught a student with special needs. But something about James inspired him to take a chance. That chance turned into a miracle and Mr. Collins brags about James' education.

James proved to be a natural. His attention to detail and his ability to understand complex wiring amazed everyone. Before long, James was more than a special needs student, he was teaching Mr. Collins new things, and new ways to teach. James' talent and determination left us all in awe when we met him for the first time.

But James was suffering in silence. Because he cannot communicate, no one realized he had been battling severe ulcerations on his legs. It wasn’t until Mr. Collins noticed a fowl odor in his classroom one day that his condition was discovered. James needed immediate medical attention.

James was given a scholarship by donors, and his school asked if his scholarship money could be used to pay his medical bill. Of course we said yes, and we pitched in to replenish the $300 scholarship funds which were used to cover the emergency room visit.

We recently learned that James’ condition is chronic, and he now requires surgery and follow-up care.

Without help, his health—and his future—are at risk.

We are asking for help to raise $1,000 for surgery and $2,000 for follow-up treatment and school fees.

Our big dream is to raise $25,000 to bring in a speech and hearing specialist who can help James find his voice and learn to communicate the brilliance we all see in him.

It broke our hearts to read his medical report describing him as “deaf and dumb.” We know that is a cultural term in Kenya, but we also know the truth: James is anything but "dumb". He is a gifted student, a future innovator, and a young man whose potential is limitless if given the right tools and support.

James deserves a chance to be healthy, to continue his studies, and to finally be able to share his thoughts and dreams with the world. With your help, we can help him do that.

Please consider giving today to help cover his emergency medical needs and, if possible, to invest in his future by helping provide speech and hearing therapy and helping other students like him find there vocation and future in Kenya.

Every gift brings us closer to giving James, and students like him, the voice they deserve.

Thank you.