Love Changes A Life. Whose Life Will You Change?
Salihu is a polio survivor. We first met him in his camp in the Kogi State bush, where we were enrolling Fulani children to attend Hope Academy, Emiworo. Salihu was not in line for his picture, in fact, I caught him hiding in a little, nearby hut, just peeking out of the door from time to time to watch his brothers and sisters pose for their pictures. When I asked why he wasn't out getting his picture taken he said, "I can't go to school. I can't walk."
"You can go to school," I answered, encouraging him to go outside for enrollment.
With his parents' full support, Salihu started school, very quickly becoming popular with other students, teachers and visitors alike.
A wonderful couple from Wenatchee, Washington decided to sponsor Salihu, paying his school fees, his boarding expenses, arranging for a wheelchair for him, (along with 599 additional wheelchairs which the Wenatchee FMC team distributed to other polio survivors,) and finally giving Salihu a motorized 'Keke', enabling him to drive himself into town and even home for the holidays.
Salihu graduated from high school last year and is preparing to attend Teachers' College in the fall. He lives at a City of Refuge, studies for his college entrance exams and teaches adult literacy to other Fulani residents. After graduation from college, we at Schools for Africa intend to post him full-time as one of our teachers in a school for Fulani children.
All of this has happened because one couple from Wenatchee decided to sponsor one boy, Salihu.
Their love changed his life.
