Patricia

Patricia Sibanda, age 14

After Patricia's parents died when she was very young, she was moved to live with her grandfather, who was very abusive. She was subjected to physical, emotional, and economical abuse until the school started realizing that she was no longer "normal." The school head reported this to the police, who then reported it to Childline. After Childline had investigated the situation, they decided that it would be best for Patricia to be moved to a more healthy environment before she became severely mentally retarded. Peniel Centre took her in and has been working on helping her heal from her past. They acknowledge that she needs professional counseling, but are unable to accommodate or afford it. She is especially afraid of men.

Despite the horrible things she has gone through, Patricia is a resilient, loving, and light-hearted girl. She loved to give all of us girls a huge hug every day - usually multiple times per day! She is silly but reserved. It took her a while to open up to us, and once she did, we were so blessed by her big smile and positive attitude. 

Pray for Patricia. Pray that the right person will come along to help her through her past. Pray that she will eventually develop a proper trust of men; that she will know that not every man is going to abuse her. Pray that she will keep smiling. Pray that she learn what she is passionate about and pursue that with all her heart. Pray that she will know how loved she is.