Laurent's Story...

One of the many reasons why I love Compassion is simply that IT WORKS. Every day, children are graduating from Compassion's sponsorship program with hope for a bright future. These people are changing the future for other children in their countries. I have personally met a number of these wonderful students, and I have been repeatedly blessed by their hearts. You see, they do not believe that God gave them the opportunity to escape poverty so that they could become rich and live comfortably; they believe God poured into them so that they could empty themselves into others.

These people thank God, and they thank YOU, sponsors.

This was a post on the OurCompassion site today, written by a formerly sponsored Compassion child. Here is what Laurent has to say...you will have to excuse some of the English...

I HAVE NOTHING TO REWARD COMPASSION AND ALL SPONSOR EXCEPT LETTING OTHERS BENEFIT FROM ME

Free Oral check up

I am Laurent HATEGEKIMANA a former compassion child from Rwanda .I helped by compassion in my studies and I studied dentistry but my dream is to become a Maxillo-facial surgeon because my government spend a lot of Money for one external surgeon because no one who is a Maxillo-facial surgeon in my country . I am not yet get a job but I am happy for this activities. 

Today on 27/9/2012 It a special day for me because I went to give ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND FREE CHECK UP to the nearest primary school .I have nothing to reward compassion and all compassion sponsors for all the best I got from Compassion except doing a such a activities in order to save community .





God bless you all the compassion sponsors!

--Laurent

This is the article found on Compassion's blog which tells Laurent's family history...

I was born in Burundi, where my parents had migrated during to the 1959 war in Rwanda.

My father passed away when I was 2 years old and my mother was pregnant with my younger sister.
Life became very difficult for us because my mother was jobless and didn’t have support.
When I was 6, the 1994 Rwandan genocide started; at the same time there was also a war in Burundi. We were asking ourselves where to go because we could be killed in either country.
We stayed in Burundi. Then, when the genocide ended, we moved to Rwanda.
We arrived with nothing and found that our family members in Rwanda had been killed during the genocide. Life was difficult because we were starting a new life in a new country with nothing – and we didn’t have hope for the future.
The unforgettable day that led to a big change in my life is the day I was selected to be sponsored by Compassion International. Before this ministry I could not afford a school uniform or school fees.
But with Compassion, my family became stable.
After primary school I took the national exam and succeeded with good marks. I went on to secondary school.
I thought that the only way to improve my life was to work hard, and I was determined to do so. I wanted to pursue a career that would be meaningful.
I took biology and chemistry in secondary school because I wanted to become a dentist.

To do this I had to work even harder. I did my best not to disappoint myself, Compassion or my family who were striving to help me.
I completed secondary school with good marks, and the government awarded me to continue my studies at the Kigali Health Institute. I am now sponsored by the government as a student in dentistry.
I chose this profession purposefully because, when I was in secondary school, I suffered from oral disease. Through Compassion I received the care I needed and my oral disease was healed.

So I made the decision to work hard, study dentistry and learn about oral disease so I can make a difference in my country. Not only that, but I also want to go beyond the borders of Rwanda to help prevent such diseases and give the care to others that was given to me.
I have already started to give oral-health education classes to children at the Compassion-assisted Gakinjiro Student Center, and I want to continue helping at other child development centers.

I will never forget the great benefits I have received through Compassion International, so now and in the time to come, I will continue to enable others to enjoy the same advantages as I have.


Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/former-sponsored-child-gives-back-to-his-community/#ixzz27hvzmI48

Has Laurent's story inspired you to act?

Take a look at my post below entitled "Love Mercy." There are 6 dear children there who have been waiting for more than a year for someone to give them hope...Can you put a price tag on hope?