Susan Etyang

Susan Etyang

My name is Susan Etyang now aged 17 and the second born from a family of three. My parents divorced in 1994. Our father deserted us the same time and we have never seen him todate. We were told he died during the tribal clashes and his body left in the bushes during the Mt Elgon tribal war. Am not sure how true this information is. Our lovely mother however died of HIV in 2002. I was then in primary 4. We moved to stay with our uncle. His wife hated us because we were bright in class while her children were not doing good at school. We worked for long hours on her farm and missed school on some occassions but I still passed my end term exams and topped my class. My elder sister Leah despaired very fast. She thought the best thing to do was get married and get her husband support my younger brother Laban and myself, that that was not to be.

She got married in 2005 after finishing her primary school at the age of 13 years to a very poor young man aged only 15 at that time. They could not even buy a book for me and my brother Laban. They hardly raised money to provide a meal in a single day. We had to continue staying at my uncle's place. In 2006, Omwabini field staff visited our primary school with some english volunteers for a health education program. Our head teacher who knew what i was going through told my story to Omwabini staff and also showed them my class performance record. The Omwabini team leader discussed this information with the visiting volunteers and one lady called Heather from Portsmoth pledged to sponsor me through my secondary education if i passed my primary government examinations. I emerged second best student when the results were announced in December 2006. My Aunt was very mad with me because I had passed my exams while her son failed. I was asked to leave her home. My uncle said nothing, moreover he spent most of his time away doing family business. James of Omwabini took me to his house and informed Heather that I had passed my examinations. Heather sent my school fees in January 2007 for my secondary education and James took me to Sosio girls boarding secondary school. My only brother Laban was depressed after I left my uncles home. He was mistreated and asked never to go to any school. He was in primary 6 at that time. He left my uncles home in 2007 and has never been seen todate. My prayer is that he is fine wherever he is and that one day he will come back to me and to my elder sister Leah.

I passed my examinations at Sosio secondary school and has been offered a chance to study a diploma course in diatetic management at Rift Valley Technical Training Institute in Eldoret. James and family have been my family over the past 5 years and Omwabini my home. I have been and am still one of the 65 very lucky orphans being sponsored through Friends of Omwabini.

To Friends of Omwabini, You may not know that you are God sent Angels. Believe me this day, You are Angels. A very big thank you for raising my college fees for this year 2012. You will always remain in my prayers. I promise to work hard at college and to pass my examinations.

To God Be All The Glory!