Emmanuel Wekesa Age 22

Emmanuel has a spirit of strength and endurance that has helped him overcome so many obstacles in his young life. He has used that determination to always push forward in his studies at school and knows he will achieve his dreams. He hopes one day to become a Mathematics Professor at a university so he can help other students with their education and changing their community. Emmanuel has not always had this dream or determonation, at one point in his life he was not even able to go to school. While living in the slums, every night was a battle for his family. He lived with his mother, father, and six other siblings. Emmanuel’s father rarely worked to provide for the family. Most days his father would buy alcohol instead of food. This left their family without the necessary things to survive. Emmanuel and his siblings would find odd jobs around the slum to earn a few pocket shillings for something small to eat.  Their father often lapsed in their rent to pay for his drinking habit, leaving Emmanuel and his family frequently locked out of their house by the landlord. They slept outside in the slum most nights leaving them in grave danger from being mugged or worse. Emmanuel, along with his brother Toney, would stay awake watching over his family. One night Emmanuel’s father came home from a night of drinking, took a machete, and threatened to his entire family. Their mother ran off with her two youngest baby boys. This left Emmanuel and his 4 other siblings to fend for themselves. Shortly after they were left behind the Mighty Acorn Foundation stepped in and saw they deserved a loving safe place to call home.  Emmanuel is so grateful to the Might Acorn Foundation for stepping in and changing his and his families’ life. Since coming into the orphanage Emmanuel has thrived and no longer worries about the wellbeing of his siblings and now is so thankful to receive the education he deserves.