Previously, I’ve written about the 3rd Annual WE Restore Graduation. While WE International is proud of our graduates, we understand that for some of the teens and young women in the program, graduation is not the only option. For some, going back to school may be the best option. So it was for Shivan Kamusime.
Shivan grew up in western Uganda, the 5th of 7 children. She had a happy childhood. Playing volleyball and fishing with friends were two of her favorite pursuits. Shivan attended school and dreamed of becoming a nurse. While she would help out with some of the household chores like gathering firewood and bringing water from the well, because she had four older sisters, Shivan was not expected to cook, clean, and handle other household tasks.
Shivan’s world was upended when, at 13 and in her first year of the Ugandan equivalent of High School, her mother died. Grief-stricken, Shivan struggled in school and at home. Because most of her older sisters were no longer at home, Shivan tried to fill her mother’s shoes as a homemaker. Her studies suffered, and she felt she was a failure at domestic chores.
Her older sister, Olivia, recognized her struggle and invited Shivan to move in with Olivia and her husband in their home in Jinja. Shivan thrived living with her sister and excelled at school.
Then came the COVID pandemic. Schools were closed, and teens like Shivan were cut loose from their regimented lives, spending time with friends and hanging out on the streets. Again, Shivan drifted, but not for long.
Shivan recognized what was missing in her life and enrolled in the WE Restore Program. Unlike some of the teens who join the Home, from the start, Shivan loved the discipline and discipleship offered by the WE Restore program.
While Shivan began in the WE Restore tailoring program, she returned to her childhood dream of becoming a nurse. With the blessing of the WE Restore staff, Shivan enrolled in a nursing program in Hoima, a city in western Uganda. There, Shivan thrived and graduated from the program earlier this year.
Shivan looks forward to a career helping others using her nursing skills. In fact, during the grand opening of the WE Care Ministries Health Center last month, Shivan helped diagnose and treat some of the villagers.
WE International shows the love of Christ to the most vulnerable women, children, and families in Eastern Uganda, like Shivan Kamusime. These efforts rely solely on your contributions, and when you donate using the button below, your entire donation will go to Uganda to support our efforts there.
