“Mama, I’m Hungry”
Norah trembled as she looked to her right and then to her left. Her mother insisted that she never cross the street, but Norah’s desperation drove her past the honking cars to the door of her mother’s salon.
Norah stopped short of the door. Looking through the window, she studied the women cutting hair. She took a moment to dream of a day when she could work to earn enough money for an education.
Norah shoved the door open, and her daydream was interrupted by the sound of a ringing bell and her growling belly. After approaching her mother, the women’s chatter came to a hush as Norah whispered, “Mama, I’m sorry, but I came to see if I could get something to eat.”
Norah shifted awkwardly and took a few more steps toward her mother’s chair. Did she not hear her? Was she ignoring her — too angry that she had crossed the street? Norah moved closer and quietly tried again.
“Mama, I’m hungry.”
As her mother glanced down at her, Norah could see her own reflection in the tears brimming in her mother’s eyes. “When’s the last time that baby ate?” Her mother’s client shot a concerned glance at Norah. The silence that stretched between the three of them said it all.
“Do you know about the church nearby — the one that’s helping children?” the woman asked. It was in this desperate moment that Norah’s story began to change.
“We Had No One to Run To”
Although Norah grew up in one of the most impoverished communities in Uganda, the love that her family shared was rich. Her mother, a hairdresser, and her father, a soldier across the border in the Rwandan army, worked hard to provide for Norah.
But when war and genocide tore through Rwanda in 1994, it also ripped a hole straight through Norah’s heart. Her father was killed in conflict, along with much of her extended family.
“Life took a terrible turn after the death of my father. We had no one to run to. We had no support.” — Norah
The dreams that the mother and daughter shared for a better future were eclipsed by a struggle for basic needs. Her mother’s job could no longer provide for school fees, rent and — most often — the next meal.
“For us at home it was hand-to-mouth on our lucky days.” — Norah
Norah had missed a few meals the day she stood with eyes wide and stomach empty in her mother’s salon. Not many things worried her more than going hungry, but being unable to attend school robbed her of feelings of purpose and hope.
The idea that she might grow up illiterate, homeless and hungry filled Norah with fear.
Hope Breaks Through
When Norah’s mother heard about Compassion International partnering with the local church to care for children, both ran as fast as their feet could carry them to the front steps of the church.
As Norah worked to catch her breath, a sweet, warm smell filled her nose. She was invited inside and offered a bowl of porridge. Norah couldn’t believe she was enjoying a warm meal. It was so decadent and full of milk. She hadn’t tasted milk in so long.
“That was the best meal I ever had!” — Norah
Norah was immediately registered in the Compassion program. As she looked around at the kids laughing and enjoying their meal, a quiet hope rose in her heart.
During Norah’s time at the Compassion center, she was finally able to return to school — fees paid in full. She also began to live with an assurance that she had never experienced. Norah would be fed, would have shelter and would feel provided for every day by the church partners and Compassion staff.
Her fear of growing up illiterate, homeless and hungry began to fade.
“At the Compassion center, I always looked forward to going there because there was always good food. Chicken, eggs, milk, rice — those were my favorites.” — Norah
Norah Meets the Source of All Hope
Norah learned about Jesus’ love and forgiveness at the center. She found healing through forgiving the ones who had killed her father and family that terrible day in Rwanda. Little by little, as Norah began to grow, so did her hope.
“Also, the praise and worship there was just the best time for me. We used to dance! Those were my favorite times at the center.” — Norah
As she grew closer to Jesus, the source of all hope, Norah discovered her favorite Bible verse, one that captured her life beautifully.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11, NIV
Norah Gets Sponsored
While visiting the center, Norah would watch other children opening letters from across the world. They would read letters wide-eyed, soaking in words of hope from their sponsors. Norah longed to be sponsored, too.
One bright morning, Norah visited her Compassion center, where she heard four words that would change her life: “You are being sponsored!”
“In Africa, it’s not easy, especially from where I come from … to find somebody to tell you that you are special. To be honest with you, it was my sponsor who first told me that she loved me, and that felt so special to me. I actually felt loved.” — Norah
The love of her sponsor became a part of Norah’s bigger story — one in which God revealed his plans for her in amazing ways. God used her determined mother, a compassionate client, the local church and her friends from across the globe to transform Norah’s future.
