Stephen is about 28 years old. He was born with a deformed foot, which has affected his ability to walk. Coupled with the challenges of living in South Sudan, the scarcity of quality health care, good nutrition and clean water, Stephen faced the challenge of being different. Yet he did not let the challenge discourage him. He still had dreams just like anybody else. Working hard all throughout his primary and secondary school education, Stephen still dreams of one day becoming a doctor. Medical school may be a big dream, but we believe it is not impossible.
Stephen was one of the first people to join Hands of Mercy. Having a good grasp of English he has always been our translator. Now, Stephen helps to support our ministry in Yambio and earn an income for himself. Stephen is the manager of Hands of Mercy’s Photo Shop. Stephen walks around Yambio, packing an outdated digital camera, snapping pictures of anyone who is willing to pay two South Sudan pounds($.50) to have him print it out. As a result, Stephen is becoming quite popular in the market and is making a good income to support himself and his brother at home.Recently, Stephen has taken a small step to realizing his dream of becoming a doctor. Hands of Mercy has identified several children with significant disabilities which prevent them from accessing our resources at the center. Stephen volunteered to become our “Itinerant Special Needs Teacher.” Every Saturday, Stephen peddles on his bicycle into the small villages to read to and teach these children. He helps them with special exercises and is a good friend and mentor for the children to learn and grow from. We thank God for giving us Stephen and for his willingness to help others!