Stop and Take Notice!

Nobody wants to take notice of the filthy homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk.  People walk right by the skinny, tired young woman begging for change on the street corner.  We are all too busy or important to take the time to stop and listen to the lowliest people of society.

The poor are often overlooked, powerless and vulnerable.  They don’t have a voice loud enough to make people listen because they are disregarded based on their looks and circumstances.  Some of these people may be brilliant scholars, talented musicians and future leaders, but life has thrown them a challenge to overcome.

One such person is Esther Uwiringiyimana.  Esther is a 13 year old girl and a member of the Asante Children’s Choir.  Esther is a tremendously talented singer and brilliant student, although a few years ago she would never have been given the opportunity to let her talents shine.

Esther used to be a dirty, malnourished child begging on the streets of Butare, Rwanda, for enough money or food to survive.  Having lost her father to HIV/AIDS, a disease her mother still lives with, Esther’s mother was left with no money, no land, an illness and no job.  Therefore, she and Esther took to the streets to search for money and food.  Esther prayed daily for just one meal to eat, but most days she went to be without eating at all.

No one bothered to look at this little child and see her potential, until one day when Africa Mission Alliance discovered her begging on the streets.  Now, having joined AMA’s sponsorship program and the Asante Children’s Choir, Esther has been given a new voice.  A voice of strength, of perseverance and of hope.  She along with 23 other children who come from some of the most lowly, poor and challenging pasts, have now collectively found a new strength together.

Let us continue to give a voice to these children by providing them with an environment in which they can shine so bright that the whole world will stop and take notice!