Dainess is about 11 years old, her birthday is unknown. Until a week ago she lived with a grandmother and step grandfather. We are currently trying to work out a new living situation for her. Continue reading…

Dainess (pronounced Di-ness) went shopping a week ago, Wednesday. She had a great time and got a skirt, shirt and a pair of shoes. Then we went to the grocery store and bought a 10 Kg bag of Mealie-meal (the local staple food,) potatoes and a bag of apples. It was a very good afternoon. 

Dainess was at school the next 2 days and everything seemed normal. The following Monday morning we received some very sad news from Dainess’ good friend Mirriam. Here is what happened….

Two days after the shopping (last Friday) her grandmother ‘chased’ her. ‘Chased’ is the term that Zambians use for ‘kicked out’. Because the school was closed, Dainess didn’t know where to go. We found out the following Monday that Dainess spent Friday night sleeping in a small outdoor fruit stand. This is an open building about the size of an outhouse! In the morning, the woman who owns the stand found her sleeping there. This woman took her in and kept her safe Saturday and Sunday.

We went to the police today to report the Grandma (she beats Dainess as well) the police gave permission for Mary (our school director) to keep Dainess at her house until other family members could be reached. She stayed with Mary last Monday night. The grandparents showed up at Mary’s house that night, drunk and shouting. Mary did not come to the door and they did not see Dainess. The next day, one of her aunts showed up to take Dainess to come live with her. This aunt seemed loving and did not know that Dainess had been being mistreated. Mary said that she would like to have Dainess stay with her. This way she could continue going to RHO Appleseed school, where she gets two meals a day, an education and of course, her sponsorship. The aunt refused and said, “No, she will stay with me, but you can keep supporting her.”

Dainess went with the aunt. Mary has kept touch over the last couple of days. She told the aunt that if Dainess wasn’t attending Appleseed, then she could not remain in the sponsorship program. It would be much too difficult for us to keep track of what is happening with her if we do not see her on a regular basis.

This weekend Mary talked to the aunt again. She said that she would talk with the other relatives in the village (where the grandma wanted to send her) and tell them that she was going to take Dainess back to the last (Mary) so that she could continue her school and her sponsorship.

We should know by this Monday is Dainess will really return to Bauleni and to Appleseed. She and Mary have a wonderful connection and Mary will take excellent care of her. We hope with all of our hearts that Dainess return to Mary tomorrow (Sunday.)

We want you to know, Sophia, that your sponsorship has possibly saved Dainess’ life. Without it, we wouldn’t have found out that she was being abused and living a terrible life. Now, we have been able to get her out of the hands of the people who were hurting her.

As long as the relatives allow her to come back and live with Mary, she can continue to be sponsored. We hope that this happens. However, if they refuse, we will have to remove her from the sponsorship and hope that you will choose another child. I think though, that it will work out and she will return. We will keep you posted.