We first met Proscovia as we delivered Easter Meals in March 2016.
She was so frail, she could barely walk. She broke our hearts.
She lived in a tiny room behind a neighbor's house. Her hands and feet were full of jiggers, so it was a challenge for her to do anything for herself. It was so dirty inside her tiny house, she would not let anyone inside to help her. Thankfully, a few of the neighbor children fetched water for her; but sadly she had no other help. She was alone.
To our dismay, her neighbor would not help her. It is very common in Uganda for elderly people to be neglected since they are viewed as a burden.
We decided to investigate a little more to find out if she had family or friends that would be willing to look after her. In the meantime, we were able to remove the jiggers from her hands and feet and provide her with some food and clothing.
Removing the jiggers was a painful process and we knew they would be a problem again if her living environment did not change.
After doing some investigating, we discovered that she had no family or friends willing to look after her. We knew God had brought her to our attention for a reason because even though her family had forgotten her, He had not.
We visited Proscovia again in October to deliver a mattress and some food supplies and discovered her jiggers had returned with a vengeance. We also found out the latrine she was using had collapsed and her living conditions had worsened.
After our visit, we discussed several options to help her; leaving her in the current situation was not an option. We agreed that we needed to move her closer to Suubi where we could look after her, but that would require us renting a place for her and setting up a new house. Rent and provisions would be a monthly expense, so we decided we needed to find someone to sponsor her.
Praise Jesus! We hadn't finished the discussion when a sweet friend stepped up to be her sponsor.
Within a week of our discussion, Proscovia was settled into a new house with the needed provisions and her jiggers had been removed once more.
We had the pleasure of visiting Proscovia this past February in her new home and we were amazed at how well she was doing. She had gained weight and her strength had increased. She was walking again and determined to work in the garden at Suubi!
As we sat in her home and visited with her, she sang worship songs and praised the Lord, thanking Him for remembering her. Her life is a sweet testimony of God's unfailing love.
Proscovia's life has been changed and it is wonderful to behold!
We thank the Lord for all He is doing in the community He has placed us in and we praise His wonderful Name for allowing us to be a part of it all!
““Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
His love endures forever.
... to Him who alone does great wonders.
His love endures forever.””