PLEASE HELP THIS ABANDONED LITTLE GIRL

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Tara Sutton and Devika Dass are organizing this fundraiser.

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Last month Kenyan police were alerted to a little girl wandering alone in a busy slum. When they asked her where her mother was she didn't know. When they asked her her mother's name she just said, "My mother’s name is Mama." Shy and frightened, she could not tell them where she lived or even her own name or age. She looked about 3 or 4 years old.

The police took her back to their local station to wait, thinking her mother would come there to report her lost. She stayed there all night, sleeping on the lap of a police woman. No one came to claim her. The police called around to other stations, to see if anyone had reported a missing child. No one had.

So the police called Leah Obanda, a woman who always comes to the rescue of abandoned, neglected and abused children in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya where she lives. Leah took the girl to her own small home to live with her and after a week when still no one had reported her lost, she gave the little girl the name Imani, which means Faith in Swahili.

Leah is known as “Area Mama” in her neighbourhood and part of a volunteer social work group. She is the person that people know to call whenever a child has a serious problem. I, Tara, met her while investigating child trafficking in Kenya for a documentary and stayed in contact with her ever since. She is the most inspirational woman I have ever met. In a place with so much poverty it is easy to look away and worry about your own problems. Leah has opened her home and heart giving whatever she has to help any child in need. She feeds, clothes, educates and gets medical treatment for some of the most neglected and battered children. She is tenacious and resourceful, working alone against a tide of endless need in a place of dire poverty. She is my hero.

With a few friends we have been sending Leah money to pay for Imani’s kindergarten and other expenses. Imani loves school and is thriving and happy. But there is an obstacle – Leah is trying desperately to keep Imani out of a Kenyan government-run children’s home. They are overcrowded, underfunded, understaffed and not a safe place for any child. However Leah cannot become Imani’s legal guardian unless she is officially registered as a shelter. Imani has become very attached to Leah and it would be terrible to separate her again. Leah is also caring for three other children, one 5 year old who was sexually abused and two toddlers and their mother who fled a violent home. She does this all out of the kindness of her heart and concern for her people. But she has long dreamed of having her own space, where she can counsel and care for children outside of her own home, and make things official.

Opening a shelter costs money. Much more than Leah can afford from the odd jobs she gets cleaning and trading at the market, or the occasional stipend from International NGO’s for attending their training sessions. Since we can no longer fund this alone – we are asking our friends for help. The goal is to raise a years’ worth of funds to allow Leah to open and operate a small children's shelter in her neighbourhood and run it full-time.

With $14,200 Leah will be able to become Imani’s legal guardian, set up and run a shelter for a year. All of the funds will go directly to Leah who, trust me, bargains for the best price on everything and does not waste a penny. We have worked out a budget with her to include rent, furnishings, transport, medicine, utilities, internet, school fees along with clothing and food for up to six children.

About our goal: Tara and Devika met in Toronto through a mutual friend (thanks Clare!). While talking over a coffee, Tara told Devika about Leah and her incredible work and Devika immediately wanted to help support and grow this mission. We had a phone call with Leah, she explained to us how having a shelter would not just allow her to keep being Imani’s guardian but also to help so many other children. She has big dreams. The need is there and the person to help is there. All that is needed is funding. We also believe donations are best used by locals who are able to resource from the ground up to provide the best care. It is our aim to support this. Please join us.

A year of funding will allow Leah the security to plan and us the ability to look for other more permanent funding sources. We know that this is a need that will continue and we want to grow and develop with Leah a source of continuing support so she can carry on her life saving work. The next time you hear from us we may be signing off as Monday’s Child …..

Please help us create some good in a little corner of the world.

THANK YOU!!!!

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