‘Goodbye but not forever’ is what the children, staff and volunteers sang noisily to Isaac Filipo as he stood as tall as he could outside of Harrogate House earlier this week.
Surrounded by his worldly possessions – his clothes, bedding, mosquito net, blanket, food and of course his trusted teddy – he headed back to the village with his grandmother.
Isaac lifted up his chubby little hands to politely refuse any more teary hugs from his friends. You could feel excitement, pride and nerves radiating from him and it was a moving scene watching him leave Harrogate House to begin his new life. As you can imagine, there were a lot of tears and smiles as we waved goodbye.
It was 2013 when he first came to Open Arms as a precious one month old orphan. After his mother died, his grandmother struggled to cope with the difficulties of a new baby and so sadly Social Services had to step in. Heartbroken at not being able to raise her grandson, his grandmother has managed to stay strong and in good spirits for Isaac. She has been dedicated to him from day one and praying for the day that he would go home with her.
The care given to him at Harrogate House has allowed him to grow into the lovely little chap we see today. At nearly three years old, he is a healthy, confident little boy with lots of people to call his friends. A far cry from the little bundle that first came through our doors. He will always be a much-loved member of Harrogate House.
Before finally moving back to the village, Isaac and his grandmother stayed together in our transition hut for a few days. This gave them a chance to get to know each other better, and for Isaac to adjust to his new life with his guardian before heading back to the village.
Now that they are back at home, we will continue to support Isaac and his grandmother. Open Arms will always be there for the family in terms of outreach support while he settles into village life and as he navigates the next few years. Isaac takes away some lovely memories and great experiences as he steps into an exciting new chapter of his life.
He is a very lucky little boy and we’d love to see more children returned to their families. If you’d like to find out more about what we do or how you can help please do get in touch. It is only through your support that children like Isaac get their happy endings and there are many more out there to help.
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