William - the youngest orphan in the Karen Baird Children's Home located in Sierra Leone, West Africa - passed away this week due to complications with an illness.
We first met William during our recent trip to Sierra Leone at the beginning of January. He was brought to us on the last day of our visit to the orphanage. His mother had died and his father had run away - William was only two weeks old.
At the time, the youngest child in the orphanage was three, but we knew we wanted to find a way to bring William into our home so that he could be loved and cared for like he deserved. After finding a caregiver and a sponsor, William was being fed and sheltered.
Shortly after our return to the U.S., William became ill. The staff at the Children's Home knew he needed immediate care, so they drove him 80 km. to the best hospital around. The doctors and nurses did everything they could, but they were unable to restore William's health.
In honor of William's memory, we are going to be collecting donations to buy shoes for the other orphans at the home. William was only a part of our family for 2 months, but the impact he is going to make on the future of the Karen Baird Children's Home will last forever.
Although Sierra Leone and Kibera are on opposites sides of Africa, leaders of the Kibera Penda Project have taken a special interest in the orphans of Sierra Leone and are looking for opportunities to be able to extend our impact from one coast of Africa to the other. If you would like to make a donation to the Karen Baird Children's Home in honor of baby William, please follow the instructions below:
2) Fill in the required information to create an account
3) Under 'Menu' click "I'd like to make a new donation"
4) Under 'Gift Information' type in your donation amount and select "other" for designation. Type "WILLIAM" in the specification box
5) Fill in required credit card information and then click MAKE A DONATION!
The Kibera Penda Project team is overwhelmed by the love and support we have been shown over the past few years. We hope that you will come alongside us as we find new ways to show Africa love.
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