Letting No One Fall Through the Cracks

April 15, 2015

Normally we like to give our supporters and donors a window into the lives they are impacting with their donations of money.  We are in the business of hope and improving the futures of children.  However, occasionally we come up against a case that truly tests our capabilities.

There is a child in our care who needs a large degree of help.  We will call him Tesfai, which means hope.  Tesfai, not his actual name but one given to him for the purposes of this article, is in danger of being exposed and consequently shunned and excluded because of his medical status.  We have taken measures to shield his name and picture to prevent negative consequences for his life.

Tesfai was born in a family with 2 children, he being the 2nd child and now 7 years old. Both of his parents have passed away from complications of multiple illnesses, as a result of AIDS.  His father died 7 years ago and his mother 7 months ago.  Tesfai, himself, has contracted HIV /AIDS presumably from his mother at birth although no medical record can be presented for verification.  The virus was diagnosed a year ago when he was taken to a health center for a non-routine check up when concerns were raised about his frequent sickness and ongoing health issues.

After his parents died, Tesfai was taken in by his grandmother who is about 75 years old and is terribly poor.  The grandmother has the additional responsibility of raising Tesfai’s sister on top of having to take care of herself.

This child is now being helped by the teachers at the Fregenet Kidan Lehitsanat School to acquire a basic education.  As with all of our students, he receives breakfast and lunch and also provision of supplementary milk at home by FKL.  Fregenet School is trying its best, but unless he is supported by other more relevant and capable organizations and donors his future is bleak. He has started taking medication one year ago.

When an organization such as the Fregenet Foundations decides to commit itself to serving the very poor, occasionally heartbreaking stories such as this come across our doorstep.  This is an example of a case that is testing our capability to bring real and significant hope into the lives of children since we are a primarily educational foundation.  Fregenet School will do everything in its power for Tesfai to enhance his chances for survival and yet, we are still sending out a call to any of our generous individuals and charity organizations who might reach out and become involved in this child’s life.

The Fregenet Foundation