Dhahabu Kaviha

Before

Dhahabu Kaviha is a girl with cerebral palsy. She had tremors in both her upper and lower limbs and almost no ability for speech. When Cynthia first visited Dhahabu in her small mud hut in 2000, the girl was malnourished and had scabies all over her body. She could not even sit up or eat solid foods.  Shortlly after Cynthia's visit, she received sponsorship and joined the cerebral palsied unit at the Gede School.

After

After arriving at the Gede School, the house mothers took a leading role in making sure Dhahabu was regularly bathed with soap and was well fed. With time, the scabies disappeared and she gained weight. The physical therapist, funded by Kupenda, also designed a program for Dhahabu, which has helped her to improve. Dhahabu is now a healthy child with smooth skin and a smiling face. She is able to sit on her special chair and her tremors have decreased. She can stretch out her hand and say "hi" to people in addition to communicating with gestures and facial expressions and understanding the conversations of others. She can also eat regular foods like chipati's (her sponsor's favorite) rice and meat. Most importantly, her parents visit her each weekend and show a smiling face, which she returns when they pick her up from her special chair.