Life wasn’t easy for Emmanuel as a kid. His mother moved around a lot to look for work, so his grandparents raised him. Their home often flooded, and they never knew where their next meal would come from. And like many children in his rural region of Tanzania, Emmanuel struggled to go to school because he usually had to herd animals instead. With so little food or education, it was challenging for him to have hope for the future.
Emmanuel was eventually reunited with his mother, and she enrolled him in their local Compassion program. That’s when things started to look more hopeful. Emmanuel says, “Being sponsored has really helped me, firstly spiritually. When I came here, they paid attention to spiritual issues. My life changed from there.”
Emmanuel’s spiritual growth was only the beginning of change. His physical needs were met too. He got his very first bed as a gift, received clothes and food, and was able to attend school. In school, Emmanuel could dream for the future.
“I could now see the light and realized that I could reach a certain point. I started thinking of one day being a teacher,” he says.