Sulitha Wiliams

Sulitha came to us with a large bruise and lump on her leg and also a terrible burn on her hand. Her stomach was swollen from malnutrition and her torn, dirty dress hung from her shoulders. We were told by the pastor in her village, that Sulitha lived with her aunt, a prostitute, who abused Sulitha. She was locked in their hut for hours, or even days, as her aunt was the only one left to care for her. A medical checkup later revealed ear infections and worms were found under her fingernails!

Sulitha is a fighter and has learned to survive any way she can. Even at her young age, she found ways to get what she needed—sometimes hitting and sometimes biting.

We brought Sulitha to our orphanage the next day. She sat in the back with an American couple who had joined us for the week. She fell asleep on the hour-and-a-half drive, in loving arms, maybe for the first time she could remember. On our arrival, our COTN children ran to the vehicle with joy and hope in their eyes.

Drew, one of our staff in Malawi reports, Sulitha is doing much better. We’re not calling her Sulitha now, which was a nickname given to her by her prostitute aunt and guardian, meaning “one who will not live long on this earth.” She is now called by her given name, Solthina.