Sbusiso

Sbusiso, who is five years old, was born with sacral agenesis, a condition in which the sacrum—the lowest section of the spine—fails to develop, or fails to develop completely, resulting in significant impairment of normal function. His legs are paralyzed, so it is very difficult for him to get around on his own. Sbusiso’s mom is working very hard to take care of him and meet his needs, but it would be a really big help to both of them for him to have a wheelchair for mobility, especially as he is growing bigger now. But getting a wheelchair in Zimbabwe is a much more difficult undertaking than it is here in the States; in fact, it has proven impossible for them.

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Update on Sbusiso in Zimbabwe (3/3/20)

Posted March 3, 2020

We wanted to give all of you—both our staff and our supporters—a brief update on Sbusiso and how he’s doing, with the help The Shepherd’s Crook has been able to provide. For a quick summary/history of his story, feel free to read our previous post on him. Sbusiso, or Sbu, did receive a brand new, custom-made wheelchair through the efforts of TSC and thanks to the great generosity of a couple of organizations in South Africa. He has had his new chair for seven months now, and it is no exaggeration to say that it has dramatically changed his life. At first he wasn’t sure if he was going to like it, but once he got used to it and realized its possibilities, he has done amazingly well with it. Additionally, the financial support The Shepherd’s Crook has been able to provide has enabled Sbusiso’s mom to make ends meet for them, and has also made it possible for Sbu to enroll in public school where he is receiving very specialized classes to address his multiple special needs—an option previously unavailable to him because of financial constraints.

We have been corresponding with Jaqui, Sbu’s mother, about how they’re doing lately and what some of their ongoing needs are. Jaqui reports that he is doing very well in his school and that his teachers adore him. His teachers marvel at how active he is. He loves physical activities like football (soccer to us) on the school grounds, and the teachers are amazed at how good he is in spite of his physical limitations. He will quickly climb out of his wheelchair to participate in these activities, but for just getting around, whether at school, in public, or at home, he loves to travel in his wheelchair.

Finally, we wanted to share Jaqui’s own words with you as she expresses her feelings for what God has accomplished and is still doing in their lives:

My heart is filled with so much gratitude to you all. I thank God daily for making our paths cross. I wouldn’t even had imagined that Sbusiso would be provided for and go to school. For kids like him it means the world. Because they are often denied of that opportunity because their carers cannot provide. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And to God the Father I bow down in praise.

And we, too, thank all of you for the part you play in supporting this ministry and our various projects, including our Orphan Prevention project. Please continue to pray for Sbu and his mom, as she is working so hard to find employment in her field of software/web development in a very difficult economy there in Zimbabwe. 

I (Kathy) have been especially blessed in a very personal way to have developed a friendship with Jaqui, and we regularly encourage each other as moms of children with special needs, and all that this entails. We are so honored to have been allowed to become a part of their lives.

Soli Deo gloria,

Scott and Kathy

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