Marvin Mends A Fractured Relationship

By Anna Roberts, university intern with INA

INA’s ChildLink program targets at-risk kids and provides them with all possible opportunities for quality education, good health and values, supporting them to grow into tomorrow’s leaders and providing them with the skills they need to reach their fullest potential. Our model for supporting children is different, as your ongoing donations are used not only to help a child, but their parents and community as well.

For Marvin, ChildLink not only meant better education opportunities, but also lead to the mending of his fractured relationship with his father.

Before becoming a Linked child in Uganda, Marvin was struggling in his school studies and had repeated several classes multiple times, ultimately falling behind the progress of his peers. Marvin’s difficulties resulted in his father becoming distant, disinterested and neglectful towards Marvin and his education. This caused Marvin to become further disengaged and eventually giving up on attending his classes.

Upon being supported through ChildLink, Marvin was assisted with attaining an apprenticeship course in Motor Vehicle Mechanics. INA’s partner in Uganda was able to meet with Marvin’s father and helped him to see Marvin’s strengths and potential. This discussion resulted in Marvin’s father opening up about his deep fears of Marvin’s lack of future due to his academic limitations. It also enabled Marvin’s father to become enthusiastic and think positively towards the opportunities this apprenticeship would bring for Marvin’s future.

Marvin and his father have since become very excited about the apprenticeship, and their eagerness for this new chapter of Marvin’s life has been encouraging towards his engagement in learning and healing the bonds of this father-son relationship.