Two Girls, Two Worlds

“I hope I get to visit her one day.”

Joseanne and I had the usually boisterous house to ourselves. Being the youngest of the 24 children living in the Asante Children’s Choir house, Joseanne did not have to walk back to school for the afternoon session so we decided the time was best spent hanging out in the girls room. She usually shared her room with seven other girls, but this time, it was just us! 

While I was getting comfortable, Joseanne went to the shelf she shared with the other girls in the house and searched for a book that she seemed intent on showing me. She lay on the bunk bed beside me and handed me a small brown photo album. 

Joseanne briefly introduced me to her mother, her father, who is no longer alive, and her brothers and sisters. Yet these pictures were few and far between as the album was filled with pictures of her sponsor, a young American girl not much older than herself. 

The pictures gave Joseanne a glimpse into another world and the difference between the two girl’s world’s couldn’t be more apparent. I wondered what Joseanne thought, seeing photos of her sponsor at Disneyland and spending time with her family who obviously love her. Yet, Joseanne’s picture album didn’t highlight the sadness she had faced in her life but rather gave her hope; her life was different because of this one sponsor. ‘I hope I get to meet her one day’, concluded Joseanne. 

I couldn’t help but wonder if Joseanne was truly happy. She said she missed her family, but when I asked if she was happy living at Asante House, without hesitation, she said yes! 

Her sponsor has been used by God to give Joseanne a large, caring and godly family to live with, an education, food and a future. But more than that, Joseanne has been gifted with a friendship from someone outside of her world who is interested in her. And I pray that they will be able to meet each other one day. Who knows, that may be sooner than she expects. 

The Asante Children’s Choir will be visiting the US this coming November, December and January.

Written by: Mishal Whyle, an AMA volunteer in Rwanda from New Zealand.