Two Little Guys

Phillip

Rwotomiyo George

In Africa, where there are women, there are children. So one of the joys of spending time with Rwot Omiyo, the women's group who make Omiyo's paper beads, is getting to know their children. These two little guys are always around whenever beads are being made. On the left in his birthday suit is Phillip, and that macho guy in a pink dress on the right is George. At a year and a half, George is a typical toddler. Chasing after a chicken, ten steps on those wobbly legs, and he plops down on his bare bottom in the dust. He crawls over to the women making beads, and, quick as a flash, he dumps a bowl of seed beads. When it's taken out of his reach, he squalls awhile, until finally, strapped to his mom's back, he falls asleep.

George drifts off on mum Vicky's back.

Phillip spends a lot of time on his mother Milly's back, too. At two and a half, he still can't walk at all. He isn't even able to stand. He has sickle-cell disease, which causes him a lot of pain and swelling in his joints. 

Phillip spends a lot of time on Milly's back

Most days he just sticks close to Milly and whimpers. He cries if she gets more than a few feet away. He seems listless, uninterested in the world around him. Milly is a saint, caring for him with such love and tenderness day after day, without frustration. ​​She often has to miss beading days to take Philip for treatments.

One day, though, it was "cold." Finger quotes, because it was maybe in the upper 60's. I call it refreshing. I think Phillip did, too, because he actually scooted away from Milly, fast, all the way over to the neighbor's house, where some boys were giving the thatch roof a bowl haircut, pitching the ends into a wheelbarrow. For once, Milly was calling Phillip, and he wasn't paying any attention to her, so fascinated with the work those big boys were doing. When they started pushing the wheelbarrow away, Phillip started scooting after them at an amazing speed. All the bead ladies were laughing to see that  little guy so excited about something. It gives us hope that someday, in the not too distant future, with good medical care, Phillip will learn to walk. 

I'm committed to giving Milly a bit extra to help with Phillip's medical care. If you would like to join me, you can donate to his care as easily as you buy a product right here! And whether or not you give, thanks for reading until the end. Please keep Phillip in your prayers!