You are NOT going to believe who this is!!
This picture makes me so incredibly happy. Do you recognize him?
If you’ve been following Neema Village from the very beginning, you might remember that this handsome little guy was our second baby!
Meet Meshack. And wait until you hear his story…
We first learned about Meshack when he was just 22 days old. His mother had died, and he was living with his grandmother in the village. She was doing her best to care for him, but she was feeding him raw cow’s milk because she had nothing else.
Meshack was dangerously skinny. He had terrible skin problems, diarrhea, and simply was not thriving.
We brought him into town and immediately admitted him to the hospital to try to save his life. After nine days in the hospital, he came to live at Neema Village in the old rent house.
Eight months later, Meshack was finally healthy enough to return to his grandmother in the village. His grandmother had spent a month at Neema learning how to properly care for him, and we were hopeful that he would continue to do well at home.
And he did—for a while.
Then Meshack began having seizures.
Doctors diagnosed him with TB of the brain, and he would need to take medication every single day for an entire year to save his life. So Meshack came back to Neema.
After a year of treatment, he was finally cured and returned once again to his grandmother in the village.
But during a later check-up visit, we discovered that Meshack was sleeping in a goat shack and crying every night.
There was no way we could leave him there.
So Meshack came back to Neema—this time for good.
He started school, and from that incredibly rough beginning, Meshack began to grow into a bright, caring and very sweet young man.
Today, that tiny baby we fought so hard to save is growing into an amazing young man.
And he is going to be a doctor.
While attending Tumaini School in Usa River, Meshack lived with one of our wonderful foster moms, Rita. Rita is fostering eight of our Neema kids, including Phillip, who is also doing great with her.
Rita herself has an incredible story. She was a MAP mom whose husband kicked her out when she refused to agree to becoming a second wife. Today, she is an excellent foster mom for children who are not adoptable but have no family to return to.
In September, Meshack graduated NUMBER ONE in his class, earning four top honors!
We could not be more proud of him.
Just think about that for a minute.
The tiny, dangerously malnourished baby who came to Neema fighting for his life… the little boy who battled TB of the brain… the child who once slept in a goat shack and cried every night…
He graduated NUMBER ONE in his class.
And now he has his eyes set on becoming a doctor.
With lots of music, dancing, and pageantry, it was quite a celebration as Meshack proudly led the group in the graduation procession.
Neema Director Kim was there to celebrate this special day with Meshack and his classmates.
Meshack’s stepmother and father, grandmother, sister, aunt and uncle, and even his nephew all came to town to celebrate this very special day with him.
Neema provided the food for the celebration, including a huge cake for everyone to enjoy. There was so much joy, laughter, music, and pride as everyone gathered to celebrate just how far Meshack has come.
When Meshack comes to Neema Village during school breaks, he has a very special routine. He follows Dr. Sarun on his daily rounds, watching as he checks each Neema baby and MAP mom. We love seeing how interested he is in the medical care happening at Neema. Perhaps he is getting a little practice for the day when Dr. Meshack makes his own rounds!
And now, his next chapter is beginning.
In October, Meshack will attend Alpha Omega Christian Secondary School, a special school for students who excel in math and science and rank in the top 10% of their classes. It is exactly the kind of opportunity he needs as he works toward his dream of becoming a doctor.
It’s What Neema Does!! It’s what God does!!
Join us as we change Africa one baby at a time.