Miracles Left and Right for Phina’s Hard Situation

Dear friends -

I hope you are well and safe. Thank you for your continued prayers for these incredibly resilient Deaf Dreamers.

About 4 weeks ago, Phina’s situation became serious very quickly.

As I wrote in my last update, Phina was living in a home with no electricity so we were able to get her (with your donations!) a tablet for her schoolwork, a little solar panel to charge it, and lightbulbs that connected to the solar panel so she could have light at night.

I learned, however, that a bag of beans that she was so carefully meting out for her meals was nearly empty and she had no work options to buy more (due to COVID shutting down all the places she would haul water for). Others affirmed that once she was out of beans, she would no longer have food.

Miracle 1:

One of our donors was willing to dedicate part of his donation to getting Phina food for one month. Oryem, our amazing contact in the country, brainstormed with Madame Akello, a wonderful staff member at Phina’s technical school, to purchase the most practical food possible with the funding. (Our goal is simply to help her until the school opened or she was able to haul water for businesses again - this is an exception as we focus on education.) They sent me a shopping list for approval and then made the purchases.

Phina wrote me:

“Hi Oryem and Destiny,

I just can't explain how excited I'm. I was so surprised to receive a package of food supplies and a prepaid Water Bill receipt for UGX10,000 later in the evening.

Thank for the Beans, Bars of Soap, Million's Fish, Match boxes, Salt, Cooking Oil that you sent me.

Madam Akello said it was a donation from you, Destiny through Oryem. I was left with nothing to cook in the house but you saved me. This will take me through one month+

Thank you again.“

Miracle #2:

Due to inflation in food prices during COVID, Oryem, knowing how KEY maize flour was for Phina’s survival decided to contact everyone he could to collect enough money to pay for the flour. (See the white bag in bottom left hand corner.) Such a beautiful example of his (and the community’s) care!

Miracle #3:

A week later I received a message from Kelai excitedly telling me that Phina had been selected for a sewing internship at a local business. To do what?! Sew face masks!!! They provide room and board as well as a couple of days of sewing training each week for the students joining them and Phina’s school offered her one of the spots. Isn’t that simply incredible timing?!

So, as of this week, her school transported her to her internship where she will start her week long quarantine. I’m just so grateful she will be in a good work and living situation til the school re-opens!

Miracle #4:

When the school closed for the virus, Phina immediately planted sweet potato seeds but they were not growing fast enough for her to eat after her beans ran out. Some of the potatoes are now ripe and she was able to pick her first “crop” before she left (and an awesome neighbor has agreed to watch her plants while she’s away). You can see her loading her sweet potatoes on her head by her home in the photos above. I love her hope-filled smile! :)