“I am so happy to see the progress she has made! I pray that everyone will continue to support TTL so that other children, like my child, can receive the support they need to survive” – Kara’s Caregiver
TTL recently hosted our Nutrition Corners Program on campus, with 20 visiting Bo Mme from around the Mokhotlong district. One of the Bo Mme in attendance was the caregiver of *Kara, a little girl, who just left the care of the TTL Safe Home.
We first met Kara two months ago when community members notified our Outreach Team of a child who was in desperate need of TTL’s support. Upon arrival to her home to make an assessment of her condition, we found that Kara was severely malnourished. At two years of age, she could not walk, crawl, or speak. She showed little emotion; all of the typical milestones of a healthy child her age were delayed due to a severe lack of nutrition. Our Outreach Team spoke with Kara’s caregiver about the work that we do and how we could help Kara. Not having known of TTL beforehand, but wanting to do whatever she could for her child, she allowed us to take Kara back to TTL to start her recovery process.
During the past two months at the TTL Safe Home, Kara received 24-hour a day support from our incredible staff. She received 6 nutrient-rich meals a day, daily doses of vitamins, and plenty of love, support, and playtime. The changes we have seen in Kara have been remarkable. After only a few weeks of receiving proper nutrition, she gained more energy, began showing more emotion, started babbling, and did everything she could to try to get herself moving. Her determination to progress was inspiring; she worked hard to begin talking, crawling, standing, and now, walking and running. Her favorite thing to do was to wave and say “bye-bye” to anyone who came and went through the Safe Home.
When her caregiver joined us at TTL for Nutrition Corners, she attended workshops where she learned about the importance of nutrition, how to best support her child, and many other important topics. At the end of the workshop, we wanted her to have the chance to see Kara and all the progress she had made. The last time Kara’s caregiver saw her, she was weak and unable to move much on her own; two months later, Kara walked into the room to see her caregiver, sat on her lap, and laughed with her. Their reunion was so special. When it was time for them to depart, Kara, again, walked independently out of the room, waved, and said “bye-bye.”
Kara’s caregiver was amazed by the progress her child had made in only two short months. Despite not knowing about TTL before we visited her in her home for the first time to understand Kara’s situation, she told us that she trusted TTL with the care of her child because she had been struggling and knew that if someone was willing to help, then she needed to accept the help. She noted that she and Kara often had little to eat; she saw her child needed food, but was unable to provide it. The whole situation was incredibly difficult for her to cope with; she informed us how happy she was to see the progress of Kara. She said she never imagined for her child to be this way and is incredibly grateful for TTL’s dedication to saving Kara.
She noted that without TTL having come to help her, Kara, most likely would either be living with extreme disabilities or would not have survived. She expressed her gratitude to all of the staff at TTL for the incredible work they do every day taking care of all of the children. She is appreciative of all the knowledge she gained at the workshop that advised her how to best care and support Kara so that she can thrive.
Kara’s story is just one of many. The work TTL does is life-changing, not just for the children we serve, but for their families as well. In order for a child to thrive, their families must have access to resources and knowledge. Kara progressed so well at the TTL Safe Home, that we just recently were able to reunite her back with her caregiver at home. She will now be transitioned into our Outreach Program, where she will continue to receive our support through monthly visits and food packages.
We asked Kara’s caregiver if there was anything she wanted to say to our donors or anyone who supports the work TTL does; she said that she hopes everyone will continue to support TTL so that other children, like her child, can receive the support they need to survive.
*Name changed to protect privacy
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