A Miracle For Kelvin

Kelvin with his family after a miraculous reintegration earlier this month

This month, we witnessed something truly special. After almost a decade of living in our care, Kelvin was reunited with his family!

Kelvin was referred to us by another rescue center in 2010 when he was only 6 years old. He had been picked up after he and his siblings were caught begging in town. It was discovered that they had been abandoned by their mother and no other family was able to be traced. Kelvin was admitted to Shelter while his brothers were assisted by other well-wishers. The referring organization gave us very little information on his family and their whereabouts, so despite our efforts, we were unable to trace his brothers or other family. After some time, our staff gave up hope that we could trace his family.

Kelvin is an exceptionally bright, respectful, and motivated young man. During his time at Shelter, he has consistently been at the top of his class in school and one of the leaders among the boys. He was a model student and beloved by the staff and boys at Shelter, but still he longed for a family.

When we began reunification in 2014, our team tried without success to find his family. Last year, Isaiah, one of our social workers, began frequenting his home area asking neighbors about the boy, and utilizing social media to search for any leads.

Miraculously, Isaiah was able to find Kelvin's older brothers. They were overjoyed to hear that he was safe and doing so well. They told Isaiah they suspected he was at a center, but they didn't know where and they feared looking for him as they thought they could be held liable for his abandonment. They were able and willing to care for him, and so we began frequent visits to reestablish their relationship and prepare everyone for reunification.

This month, after determining that everyone was ready for a safe reintegration, Kelvin went to live with his brothers permanently. He will continue his studies from there, and he and his family are so grateful for this miracle that brought them back together.

Carpentry Update: Paul

It's hard to believe our carpentry and welding graduates have been doing their apprenticeships for over a month now. We are so proud of each of their progress, and our staff continues to check on them weekly as they are training.

Paul and his two younger brothers have stayed at Shelter multiple times in the past few years. Their mother is ill and unable to work, and poverty has contributed to the boys returning to the streets to beg for food.

Paul came back to Shelter last year determined to learn a skill so that he could help provide for his family and make sure his brothers could attend school. He was one of the top performers in the carpentry class at Shelter, and has brought that same drive and determination into his new workshop. His trainer had nothing but wonderful things to say about his progress when our social worker visited him this week.

Thank You!

Stories like Kelvin's and Paul's simply would not be possible without your partnership. We are so very grateful for you. If you'd like to support our work, as little as $20 a month can help reunite a boy with his family.