Finding Grace at Joyland

VOL. 16, NO. 1 • SPRING 2010 Fulfilling the Great Commission in the 21st century

Social justice in the life of Christ

CARING SPRING 2010 DOING THE MOST GOOD

For three days, I sat in a jail cell in my nightdress after being arrested for turning down a certain inspector. When I was taken to court, I was accused of “rejecting his advances.” He wanted an affair but I rejected it; that’s what was read to me.

I have had many problems with men in my life.

When I dropped out of school and started working in various houses to earn money, the men would sometimes make sexual advances at me. I refused because I wanted to succeed in life

joylandFINDING GRACE AT

Kenya’s school for disabled children heals a womanFrom an interview with Grace Nambuye Wangosi

Photos by Nikole Lim

DOING THE MOST GOOD SPRING 2010 CARING PAGE 25


and be a dignified girl. But one day I was fooled. The man that I worked for took me to a lodging place. The sign outside said “boarding,” so I thought it was a children’s boarding place. It wasn’t.

I came out pregnant but later aborted the child myself because I felt I could not give birth as an unmarried woman.

In my next job, I became pregnant again and gave birth to a baby girl. Her father and I married, but he later also married two other wives. Though I was the first wife, he wanted me to be the house help to his other wives. Because I refused, he forced me out of my home. My daughter and I left and I worked in bars. I was a drunk. In fact one day, I was so drunk, a group of men urinated on me.

Later, my husband came and snatched my daughter away when she was only five months old. I was brokenhearted.

When selling charcoal on the streets did not make me enough money, I got into prostitution. For the third time, I became pregnant out of wedlock.

I tried to abort, but this time the baby didn’t come out. Usually, when I was three months pregnant and took four family planning pills four times a day, the abortion was successful.

I seduced men to get money from them. My home was a grass-thatched house and I slept on a homemade mattress of rice paper sacks stuffed with old blankets. Insects would eat me, but I lived there for over five years.

To earn more money, I roasted corn and helped women deliver their babies. Some women had AIDS, but I cleaned their feces anyway because they paid me.

I became pregnant and aborted the baby again. One after another, I aborted my babies.

DesperateOne day I carried my corn from a far distance,

sweating hard. A group of Salvationists met me and said, “God will bless you with a better gift to relieve you and bring an end to your suffering.”

Grace Nambuye Wangosi tends to a child at Joyland.


“God opened a way for me when I was offered a job at The Salvation Army’s Joyland Special School. “


“I used to be a person with lots of anger. Whenever I remember what I had gone through, I would start crying. But now the Lord has taken away the bitterness. He has cooled my harsh heart completely. “


I told them that if they found any job for me I would do it because I had nothing else to depend on. They said that they would search for a job and give it to me. I had been roasting corn for so long but I wanted it to stop there. I had nothing and the money was not enough to get me food. I couldn’t even afford a blanket or cooking pans; I used an outdoor stove that belonged to a neighbor.

I eventually found a woman who needed house help so I lived there until I became sick. I had a bleeding problem and would bleed so much that I couldn’t sit. I bled the whole year. I started feeling that nothing was possible anymore.

I begged a man to accommodate me so he gave me a room to stay in. If I had to leave the house to go buy something, though, he would lock the door and I would have to sleep out in the corridor. If he opened the door for me, fine. Then I’d stay with him. He would order me to go and prepare food for him and his guests; I ate the leftovers. I was still bleeding profusely and had a terrible backache. When he kicked me out, I had 3,000 shillings ($39 USD) saved.

I cut up my blanket to use as sanitary pads. I couldn’t tell anyone what I was going through

because bleeding was shameful. At the hospital, the doctors said I might have cancer, but I didn’t have money to go to the national hospital.

Desperate, I sent a message to the Salvationists: “I am dying, please help me!”

Finding graceGod opened a way for me when I was offered a job

at The Salvation Army’s Joyland Special School. In The Salvation Army’s Kenya West Territory,

the Army sponsors a number of schools including Joyland—a primary and secondary school for the physically disabled. Though a government school, The Salvation Army provides full-time chaplains to care for the spiritual needs of the students and staff. The Army also has representation on the school’s Board of Governors and owns the property that the school occupies.

Over 300 children are currently enrolled at Joyland, with more than 200 children on the waiting list for registration. Each child faces multiple handicaps, but Joyland provides a safe environment for kids to learn how to live in society.

I live with these kids who are disabled and teach


them to be independent. I teach them to walk, use the bathroom and wash their clothes.

Most of the kids at this center were abandoned by their parents.

For example, Milicent arrived with crutches. I helped her learn to walk, use the bathroom, and trained her how to wash clothes. She was a burden to her mother, but now is able to do all the household chores. Her mother is happy.

Irene came here very weak and fell whenever she tried to walk. I discovered that she was an orphan. As I counseled her, I grew to love her and she became like my child. I guided and provided for her. She started being happy and studied well. She went on to high school and took a dressmaking course.

My own family now accepts me again. When I used to visit, my parents would hear me and ask, “Who has arrived?” My siblings would respond, “Grace is here.” They said, “We don’t want to see her.” Today, my family says to me, “Grace, if you have time come and advise our children on the best way to live life.” They welcome me warmly by cooking chicken. After so many years of anger toward my parents, I sought their forgiveness and we shared a reconciliation meal.

I now care for my younger sister’s six kids because she died from HIV/AIDS. I don’t know my own kids. My daughter deserted her baby girl here at Joyland and then disappeared because she couldn’t care for her. Now I am like a mom to my granddaughter.

A place to liveI have been blessed since Christ saved me; I

discovered there is victory, power and support in Christ. I was lifted from a hole and planted on solid foundation.

As an employee, the job is demanding. I must take good care of the kids that I look after and teach them to know God. I realized that they will not love or appreciate God unless I love them first, so I make fellowshipping with the kids my priority. In the evening, I stay with them and teach them to sing to God. I bring the foundations of Christ to them.

I went through difficulties, but God brought me to this place and I have prospered. I am saving up to buy a small portion of land to house all the kids I take care of. I have even slept hungry because of the deductions from my pay, but I am still happy because I have a place to live. If there is a child here without parents, they could stay with me in my land. I rejoice over the land because I


can help these children. I tell each of them that if you love God, he will lift you from the mud, raise you to a place where you don’t even deserve and have you sit with those who are right in the eyes of God.

I used to be a person with lots of anger. Whenever I remember what I had gone through, I would start crying. But now the Lord has taken away the bitterness. He has cooled my harsh heart completely.

My hope is to finish paying off my land and build a house where I can settle so that even someone like me can help orphans and widows.

n Nikole Lim conducted this interview, which will appear in the documentary, While Women Weep, and a corresponding book, to be released in May 2010. For more information, visit whilewomenweep.com.

Finding Grace at Joyland

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Transcript of Finding Grace at Joyland