My name is Specioza Akello, and I am fifteen years old. Currently, I am enrolled in grade 9 at Children’s Garden Home and School. I have a strong passion for cooking, which is why I aspire to become a caterer. Cooking has been a cherished hobby of mine since childhood, motivating me to pursue a career in catering after completing my high school education.I am the second eldest in my family, following the tragic loss of my twin brother and sister at birth, out of a total of five children – three brothers and a sister. We are solely cared for by our mother, as our father abandoned us when I was eight years old to be with another woman. The arrival of my three younger brothers exacerbated my father’s hostility towards my mother, as he expressed disdain for raising male children and disowned them.His aggression towards my mother grew to the point where not a day passed without violent altercations. Witnessing these brutal acts left us feeling powerless to intervene. Consequently, my father sought out a woman who could provide him with female offspring exclusively. Once he found a suitable partner, he distanced himself from us, spending prolonged periods with her and neglecting his responsibilities at home. This abandonment plunged my mother into a deep depression, shattering her sense of happiness and leaving her isolated.After several weeks, my father returned home only to evict us from the house to live with his new wife. I was in fifth grade when my parents separated, and my mother relocated to a new residence to escape my father’s threats and abuse. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated rapidly due to the physical harm inflicted by my father. She began experiencing alarming symptoms such as blood in her stool and urine, severe abdominal pain, weight loss, and overall weakness.The excruciating pain prompted her to contact my father, who was unreachable. She then reached out to her mother, who, despite financial constraints, swiftly organized a fundraiser to cover medical expenses. Subsequent medical examinations revealed a uterine swelling caused by internal injuries, necessitating surgical intervention to remove her uterus. Although the initial surgery was successful, my mother’s health took a turn for the worse due to postoperative complications.In sixth grade, the situation reached its peak, prompting my grandmother to alert my father, who agreed to take care of us until my mother recovered. Reluctantly, we moved in with him, where we were introduced to his new family. Despite feeling uneasy about the situation, I found solace in the newfound peace. However, my father’s new wife harbored animosity towards us, particularly my sister and me, due to her bias against female children. She subjected us to mistreatment, starvation, physical abuse, and verbal insults, ostracizing us from the family.When we confided in our father about the abuse, he dismissed our claims, leaving us feeling abandoned. Unable to endure the harsh treatment any longer, I reached out to my mother using a neighbor’s phone to seek help. Following this, my grandmother intervened and took my sister and me back to our mother, where I was sent to Nairobi to live with my grandmother to alleviate concerns about my mother’s health.In Nairobi, my grandmother enrolled me in seventh grade to continue my education. However, financial constraints led to my repeated dismissal from school due to unpaid fees. This predicament caught the attention of concerned neighbors, prompting one of them to involve the chief. Surprisingly, the chief dispatched an assistant to bring me to Children’s Garden Home and School, where I was welcomed by Daddy Moses after hearing my story.I am immensely grateful for this newfound opportunity, which has provided me with stability and support to pursue my dreams and aspirations. I am determined to work diligently and excel academically to fulfill my ambitions and assist my mother and grandmother. I pledge to utilize this blessing to better my life and extend my heartfelt appreciation to Daddy Moses and his supporters for their kindness and generosity.

Written by: Angel Mitchell