MARIA
Birthday: May 15
Maria was still swathed in the dirty hospital blanket she had been wrapped in after her birth when she was...
Birthday: May 15
Maria was still swathed in the dirty hospital blanket she had been wrapped in after her birth when she was handed over to TOA staff. Without a shred of clothing and no official paperwork, Maria came to live at Treasures of Africa Children’s Home. She was barely one day old.
Maria was born on May 15, 2007. Tragically, Maria’s mother and her twin, died during childbirth. Maria, the surviving twin, was a precious and perfectly healthy little girl. Her father was devastated at the death of his wife and child and undoubtedly overwhelmed at the thought of caring for an infant he could not feed. He ran away, leaving the tiny baby with no one to care for her.
The hospital social worker contacted the Kilimanjaro Regional Welfare Officer and told her of the abandoned infant. What was the hospital to do with her? They awaited instructions. The answer came quickly. Treasures of Africa Children’s Home would accept the newborn baby.
The beautiful child was showered with love and affection from the moment she arrived. She was the first infant the orphanage had ever taken in, but several more would follow within the next few weeks and months. She grew steadily and was rarely sick. As she became a toddler and started to walk, it quickly became apparent that she loved to listen to music and would twirl around in her dress with a sweet smile on her face. Like many little girls, she also loved to play with dolls.
When she started attending the TOA in-house Preschool, she proved to be a very bright student. Her love for music increased and she would happily sing the songs she learned in class as well as those she heard on the radio or watching videos. Maria is an energetic little girl. She loves to play outside on the playground, swinging on the swingset, sliding down the slide, or riding bikes, giggling all the way. It is rare to find Maria without a smile.
Maria is now 10 years of age and attends a private Primary School in Moshi. She is an excellent student. You can still hear her singing almost any time of the day. Out of the darkness which was her sad beginning, Maria now has a song in her heart.
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