The story of Innocent’s life is one of dramatic changes. His parents died 3 years apart, leaving him and his siblings orphaned. At the time of his mother’s death, Innocent was 11 years old. He, his brother and his little sister lived in a one-room mud house with no one to provide for them. Innocent soon began running the streets, searching for food and money, with no one knowing his whereabouts. A pastor who was aware of his situation, asked if Treasures of Africa would take him and his younger sister Doreen into the children’s home. The welfare department agreed that the two siblings could come to TOA.
Innocent’s heart was hardened through the tragedies he had experienced and the life he learned on the streets. When he first arrived at TOA he was easily angered and often pushed the smaller children around, intimidating them and even threatened to hit his teacher. The orphanage staff began to implement structure and Biblical discipline into Innocent’s life. Realizing that he was now safe and loved, Innocent’s attitude changed. He became a completely different child, learning to obey his elders and treat others with respect and kindness.
Innocent could not even read at the age of 12 when he came to TOA, so he was started in the 2nd grade along with his younger sister. He soon learned to read and because of the change the Lord had made in his heart, his behavior changed dramatically, and he became his teacher’s helper and an example to the other children in his class. He made steady academic progress through Primary School and graduated from a well-respected Secondary School. That in itself, is a miracle, since he had once been an orphaned "street kid" and the possibility of pursuing advanced education was nil.
After spending a few years working as a driver, Innocent was ready to pursue further education and settled on the idea of studying Tour Guiding. Tourism is one of the top employment sectors in Tanzania because of the number of world class Wildlife Parks including the famed Serengeti. Innocent successfully completed coursework in Tour Guide Operations at Udzungwa Mountains College in Moshi, Tanzania. His love for the African wildlife, friendly personality, commitment to hard work, top notch driving skills and excellent command of the English language make him an excellent fit for the safari tourism industry. Pray with us for Innocent to land a job in this competitive job market.
We are so thankful to our Treasures of Africa KIDZ child sponsors who have changed Innocent’s life forever – taking him from the streets to the Serengeti!
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