At just three months old, Tom was abandoned by his mother at a home believed to be his great grandmother’s home. Unknowingly to her that she and the child were related, she immediately took the child to the police station to report the case.
Once there, Tom entered emergency foster care under the loving care of Nambi Allen, who had just completed her foster care training. “When Pauline, the social worker, brought the child to me, I was overwhelmed with joy,” Nambi recalls. “He was the first child I would foster, and I was determined to give him a loving home.”
Months went by and the Pauline, a Child’s i social worker was unable to locate his family but she did not give up. After over a year of searching, she finally got a lead that led her to Tom’s paternal grandmother, Rosemary.
When Pauline contacted Rosemary, a wave of emotions enveloped her. “I was ecstatic to learn I had a grandson!” she exclaimed. Remembering a baby left on her mother’s doorstep over a year ago, she had always suspected that the child was linked to her son, Jimmy, whom she had raised as her own.
One sunny afternoon, in the presence of his foster mother, Allen, whom he had grown so attached to, was taken back to his grandmother’s home in Namayumba, Wakiso district.
“I am happy to have my grandson come to live with me. He in fact looks exactly like his father,”
It was a momentous occasion filled with tears of joy and smiles from both sides. The moment was cherished, not only for Tom’s reunion with his family, but also for the bond he shared with Nambi, who had played such a crucial role in his early life.
“It is a bittersweet moment for me. I am happy that he has finally found his family because I have lived with him for over a year. I will miss him,” Nambi, the foster mother shared.
At Child’s i Foundation, we believe that children thrive best with their biological families, and foster care is a bridge to help achieve this. Our foster care training equips foster parents like Nambi with the skills and emotional preparation needed for empowering transitions.
