A Family for Kudakwashe

Eight-year-old Kudakwashe (in above photo, not his real name) never knew his father. Sadly, he was abandoned by his mother who suffered from serious health issues. He was left with his stepfather but was later apprehended by the Department of Social Welfare and brought to Bopoma Villages due to physical abuse in the home. Our orphan care manager, Felicitas (watch her story here), began the painstaking process of tracing family members to find a safe and nurturing home for Kudakwashe. A year and a half later, through a relative in South Africa, she learned that Kudakwashe’s mother had a half-sister, Kumbirai (photo above).

When Kumbirai was contacted, she enthusiastically offered to care for her nephew even though she and her husband were already caring for eleven children, eight of them orphans. On the day he was to be reunited with his aunt, Kudakwashe was nervous but excited. He hoped that though he had grown, his aunt would recognize him. “I am very happy because I’m going to see my aunt today!” he announced smiling.

When Kumbirai caught sight of Kudakwashe arriving she called out his name with tears streaming down her cheeks. “It took me a long time to get to see him...it always troubled me if I ever will be able to see my sister’s son again.”

Felicitas concluded her report with these words, "Family reunification comes with a lot of emotions, a lot of tears and unknowns, but at the end of the day, family is the most beautiful thing ever."

This is why at Bopoma Villages we do everything possible to find a family for every child. Learn more about our work to support orphaned children and their caregivers here.

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