Francesca Naijipu

By |Published On: November 28, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized|

FrancescaIt’s one thing to grow up with a disability in America, but quite another, in Africa – 36-year-old Francesca Naijipu was born into the Samburu tribe in Kenya; she had spina bifida. Because her tribe believed that her disability was a curse on the community, her grandmother prepared a lethal concoction to end Francesca’s life. Thankfully, her mother rescued her – from there, most of Francesca’s life was filled with rejection, abuse, and overwhelming hardship. One day when she was ‘scooting’ to school through the dirt, she was almost trampled by elephants! Her legs were so badly damaged from the long ‘walk’ to and from school, that she was admitted to a hospital for pressure wounds and infections. In the hospital, she learned about Christ… saw the Joni movie… read my book A Step Further… and embraced God’s will for her life.

Now, many years later, Francesca is married and has a 5-year-old son, Jeremy. She is working at JoyTown Christian school among a population of 270 children with disabilities. She serves in child mentorship, counseling, and evangelism among the families of the many children. I’m honored that, in the past, our Wheels for the World teams have delivered pediatric wheelchairs to JoyTown school! Francesca’s amazing story inspires me to continue to persevere, despite whatever hardship – if she can do it by the grace of God, then so can I!   

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