Sele sat at the kitchen table with the book cracked open. She read each line carefully then set about mixing imaginary spices in a small bowl. Katharina, Co-Director at Rukuba Children’s Home, watched Sele create the imaginary dish, mixing spices and preheating the oven.
“Sele is one of the most creative children I’ve ever seen,” shared Katharina. “She creates entire imaginary worlds out of two small picture books and a couple of toys.” Reading and making recipes in her very own “kitchen” is also one of Sele’s favorite activities.
Sele and her older sister, Noro, arrived at Rukuba Children’s Home five years ago. Fully orphaned as a result of tribal dispute, Katharina and her husband, Israel, were asked to take in the siblings. “I’ll never forget how lost they each looked when we arrived to pick them up,” recalled Katharina. “Sele looked especially small and only spoke Berom, their tribal language, so she was completely reliant on Noro to speak on her behalf.”
The seven other children living in the home welcomed Noro and Sele with open arms, and it wasn’t long before Noro’s demeanor changed. “Noro’s face physically changed, she quickly became a young girl excited and joyful,” explained Katharina. “Sele took a little longer to warm up, but she connected quickly with our daughter, Noa.”
Noa and Sele, despite their four-year age difference, play together beautifully to this day. “Their creativity and ability to create and play within entire worlds together is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” shared Katharina. “It was one of the greatest joys of my life to watch their friendship bloom.”
Sele continues to settle into her home and the people she lives with a little more each day. She remains more reserved than many of the other children in the home, but she doesn’t hesitate to voice her wants and needs. “She’s a headstrong little girl and she’s very intelligent,” shared Katharina. As she finds comfort in being herself and developing stronger relationships, Sele is finding safe people and safe spaces to grow in. Your faithful sponsorship helps children from hard places find peace in new homes and circumstances. Thank you for partnering with Back2Back Nigeria in being the difference for one.