SOZO, THE ONLY HOME I KNOW
Victoria's story, in her own beautiful words
When I was about four years old, my sister Vivian and I were taken to poorly run children's home by our two older brothers. Life at home had become dangerous. Our mother and father struggled with alcohol addiction, and many days there was no food at all. We were just little children trying to survive.
Hunger became part of our daily life. Vivian and I would sneak around neighbors’ homes looking for something to eat. Sometimes we grabbed food because we simply could not bear the hunger anymore.
When we arrived at the children's home, we met many other children with stories like ours. But sadly, even there, life was difficult. There was still not enough food, and we often went to sleep hungry.
Then Saturdays became the most special day of the week.
Every Saturday, visitors would come to the children's home. We called them our “Muzungu friends.” They brought us smiles, hugs, snacks, and hope. All week long, we waited eagerly for Saturday to come. And every time they left, our hearts broke a little because we did not want the love and joy to end.
One unforgettable Saturday, those visitors arrived with a van and exciting news.
“Tugenda walungi,” they told us.
“We are taking you to a better place.”
That day changed our lives forever.
Vivian and I were welcomed into Sozo Children International, and later Auntie Aggie rescued our baby sister Vanessa and brought her to join us too. From that moment, life began to change.
At Sozo, we found more than food and shelter.
We found family.
I became part of the very first Sozo Choir, and for the first time in my life, I felt seen, valued, and loved. Along the journey, we lost both of our biological parents. Our father passed away first, and while I was in Primary Five, our mother also passed on. Although relatives were contacted, no one was able to care for us.
Sozo became our parent.
Sozo became our home.
Most importantly, Sozo introduced us to Jesus and taught us that we are deeply loved by God. Through the faithful support of sponsors and friends, we have received education, medical care, nutrition, safety, and hope for the future.
Today, I am in Senior Six, preparing to join university in 2027.
Vivian is completing her catering course soon.
Vanessa, our youngest sister, is preparing for her national O-Level examinations this November.
Three sisters who once searched for scraps of food now carry dreams for the future.
Thank you for sponsoring us. When you sponsor a child through Sozo Children International, you are not simply providing school fees or meals. You are rescuing a child from fear, hunger, and hopelessness. You are giving them a family, an education, a future, and the chance to know they are loved.
Because of people who chose to care, our story did not end in tragedy.
It became a story of restoration.