“My sister told me to go back to village to wait for my death”
My name is *Samuel E. I am from Ondo State in Nigeria. I am 35 years old. I went into a relationship with a man some years back and we had a son. A Few months later the child and I became sick, and my son died. I later learned the man I was seeing was already married so I had to leave him. I moved in with my relatives. One day I had an attack, and I became mentally unstable-, and became normal some days later. Some years later, I joined another church and I was able to meet the coordinator of the RCG Foundation, who was my church member. Around that time, I was diagnosed with HIV positive. I was devastated and my sister told me to go back to the village to wait for my death. I could not tell anyone because it was a dreadful sickness in my community that time, and people would not want to open up because of the stigma attached to the sickness. To my surprise, during a prayer session I had with the coordinator, God ministered to her concerning my sickness and I had to confirm it and opened up to her. This turned to a new era in my life, she took up the case, went to hospital with me and along the way I was also diagnosed positive to tuberculosis. The Foundation was responsible for all the expenses incurred throughout, though the drugs were given to us free in the hospital. After several appointments with doctor, I was first placed on 6 months treatment for tuberculosis, thereafter I have been taking drugs to suppress the effect of HIV. Though, I still intensify prayer for permanent divine healing, but my hope has been restored. Having the feeling and understanding that some people somewhere care about me has given me a new thought of life. I do not see life as a lonely place again, I see it as beautiful. My approach to life has changed, my energy has been restored, I am gainfully employed and I am doing well and I am no more hostile towards people but having good relationship with them. *Full name withheld to protect privacy of...
read more“God has used the NGO to put an unending laughter in my face”
My name is Okolie Chinaza Favour, I hail from Enugu State in Nigeria. I came from a broken home. My parents never lived together in harmony. We are just two, my elder sister and I. After giving birth to my sister, my parents broke up as a result of unbearable beating my mother received from my father every night because my dad was always under the influence of alcohol. Consequently, my mother went insane, she was left to wander in the bush and in the streets. She was pregnant, gave birth to a baby but lost the baby in the trauma. When she was 19 years old she became a bit normal, and went back to my father. She gave birth to me a few months she reunited with my father. Few months after I was delivered she could not cope with hardship and beating from my father, my mother moved to her elder sister’s house. After going insane, my mother has never been her real self. I was nursed by my mother’s sister together with her six children. She took care of us. My sister was living in our cousin’s house, and had no opportunity to go to school. My father died ten years ago. When I was seven years old, my sister got married I went to live with her. I became a babysitter whenever she gave birth, I would not go to school for the period of nursing the baby. It continued I finished my primary school with wasted years of babysitting. I went back to Enugu and stayed at my cousin’s place and I had my junior secondary school there. Things were not buoyant for my cousin and he could not finance my education again, I had to move back to my sister’s place who arranged with one of her church members who was in need of someone to look after his children while at work. So I was taking care of the children, and the family in return sent me to school. I had my senior secondary school class 1 with them, and because of some issues I left the place. I was 17 years old then and decided to get a job to finance my education. During that time, I came across a poster looking for people interested in acting. Because I have passion for writing and acting, I called the contact person who later took me to one of RCG Foundation’s programs organized for teenagers and youth – Talent Club. I was able to meet the coordinator of the program who encouraged me not to drop out of school. She prayed with me and urged me to put my trust in God. A week later she called me to tell me that one of the trustees has volunteered to give me free education at his school. I joined the school for my S.S. 2 and S.S. 3. The Foundation provided accommodation for me and paid for my external examinations. God has used the NGO to put an unending laughter in my face, the result of my university entrance examination (JAMB) is out and to the glory of God I was one of the best in 2015 JAMB exams. I am presently writing my WAEC examination, and I know God will also see...
read more“I was an outcast”
My name is Segun Oluwapelumi, I am a boy and an orphan. I am 13 years old. I lost my parents when I was 8 years and the relatives I was left with maltreated me. When I could not bear the pain I ran away from them in Osun state, to Ogun state where I stayed in a church community and started working in restaurant washing plates in order to feed myself. I lived my life like that for more than a year before I came in contact with someone that took me to one of the coordinators at RCG Foundation. With the help of RCG Foundation, I secured a place to live, fixed back to school and they were responsible for all my upkeep. It was like that until I was finally accepted into an orphanage through the help of the foundation. I am grateful to RCG Foundation for accepting me, even when almost everyone I came into contact with referred to me as a vulnerable child. They would not want their children to have anything to do with me. I was an outcast. Now I have a sense of belonging, and I have been shielded from bad influence. I cannot imagine what my life would have been if I am still left outside all by myself. Thank you, I am very...
read more“I was raped when I was ten, and the bitter experience took away my joy and hope”
I am 12 years old. I was raped when I was ten, and the bitter experience took away my joy and hope. I lost my virginity that I planned to keep until I got married. I was left with pains, agony, shame, anger, bitterness and fear. I was not given an option of sharing the experience with anyone, not even my mother. We are four in the family, and I am in the second born, we are a family full of love. Even with a great background like my family, I still fell a victim of rape. It all started on a Saturday morning like other days, I was ready to join my mother at her shop, so my elder sister got me a commercial motorist to drop me. On our way, the driver took another route and stopped the bike at a nearby bush. He dragged me to an uncompleted building and forced himself on me. My body was full of blood after he finished with me. He gave me a cloth to clean my body and warned me never to tell anyone, and if I failed to keep to his threat he would not only kill me but also mobilize his group to wipe off my family. With pains I had to clean myself, but was left empty. The man that raped me was four times my age. I became cold, and it was noticeable because I used to be a vibrant person. Everyone was asking me if anything was wrong with me, but I could not share with anyone, even though it was killing me inside. My teachers at school were disturbed about me and had to invite my parents to ask them what could be the problem, because I could not concentrate at school, my performance at school could not be compared with my result before the tragedy. God put an end to the horrible experience a few months later, when RCG Foundation visited our school to have a talk on sex education, and gave us opportunity to see their counselors for any issue bothering us. I embraced this privilege, and I was the first person to get to the counseling ground. Even I could not open my mouth to tell the counselor my problem, amidst tears I had to whisper it in her ear, and the rest was history. Through the word of exhortation, I became calm and I gave my life to Christ. Immediately everything about me transformed and I later went to persuade a friend of mine who was also troubled in some way to attend the counseling session. Now I am one of the officials at my school fellowship. My hope has been restored, and I am always full of joy. Anytime the incident flash to my memory, I do not feel bitter again. *Name withheld to protect the identity of...
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