Because of You: Awino’s Journey from Trauma to Triumph
- Dr. Daniel Gilbert
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
Tuesday, June 17
07:00 am
Dr Daniel & Mary Beth Gilbert
The morning sun streams through the windows of a small but bustling shop in Nairobi.
Five young employees move with purpose, arranging merchandise and greeting customers with warm smiles.
At the center of this hive of activity stands Awino*—poised, confident, and radiating a quiet strength that belies her painful past.
This thriving business exists because you cared enough to give.
When Darkness Threatened to Define Her
When five-year-old Awino first arrived at Ebenezer Children’s Home, her eyes held shadows no child should know.
Her tiny hand clutched that of her three-and-a-half-year-old sister, Mumbi—both bearing invisible wounds that cut deeper than any physical injury.
“After her father had passed on, her mother decided to take in another man,” Director Paul Ochieng explains, his voice dropping to convey the gravity of what followed. “This man defiled Awino and her younger sibling.”
The weight of those words cannot capture the horror these little girls endured.
Betrayal by someone who should have protected them.
Confusion and pain that no child should ever experience.
But because of your compassion, their story didn’t end there.
Your Gift of Safety Changed Everything
Your support at Ebenezer Children’s Home, provided more than just shelter for Awino and Mumbi.
You created a sanctuary where healing could begin.
“When the matter reached us... we took Awino and Mumbi,” Paul recalls. “We had to battle with the trauma of what they went through.”
Picture the gentle hands that welcomed these sisters.
Soft beds where they could finally sleep without fear
Patient counselors who helped them process their experiences
Consistent meals that nourished bodies weakened by stress and neglect
All made possible by your generosity.
While their mother—HIV positive and struggling with her own challenges—couldn’t provide the care they needed, your support stepped into the gap.
You became the village that raised these children.
Your Investment in Education Rewrote Their Future
At Word Academy, Awino discovered strengths she never knew she possessed.
A uniform she wore with pride, textbooks that opened new worlds, teachers who believed in her potential—all these were extensions of your giving.
Each morning as she joined her classmates, the trauma that once threatened to define her began to recede.
In its place grew confidence, curiosity, and dreams for a future beyond her painful past.
“We took them to school,” Paul says simply, but those five words represent years of daily support, encouragement, and opportunity that you helped provide.
When Traditional Paths Closed, You Opened New Doors
After high school, Ebenezer faced limitations. “We were not able to take her to college,” Paul acknowledges. Many stories might have ended there—but not Awino’s.
Not with supporters like you believing in her potential.
“We managed to do a short course on entrepreneurship with her,” Paul continues.
That entrepreneurship course—a seemingly small investment—became the bridge between her difficult past and her promising future.
Your support made it possible.
The Harvest of Your Generosity
Today, the traumatized five-year-old girl has transformed into a remarkable businesswoman.
The shop she owns in Nairobi stands as testament to her resilience—and to the power of your compassion.
A cycle of trauma that began with her mother’s desperate choice has been broken.
This is what happens when you choose to give. This is the transformation your support makes possible.
Your Legacy Lives in Her Strength
“She is remarkable,” Paul concludes simply.
Indeed she is. And so are you—for making her journey possible.
*”Awino" is a pseudonym used to protect the privacy of this aspiring woman while honestly sharing the challenges faced by many children in the Kenyan region we serve.
Your gift today will help write the next success story like Awino’s. With your support, another child at Ebenezer can journey from trauma to triumph, from victim to victor. Will you help us continue this vital work?
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