As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on and celebrating the ways God has used Shade to create family. Psalm 68:6 states that “God sets the lonely in families” and we have watched Him do that time and time again here at Shade.
We want to tell you about one of these families, grafted into the beautiful story God is writing here at the Shade campus.
Meet Martha and Boaz.
In the sunlit town of Shinyanga in northern Tanzania, Martha’s gentle smile carries a story of pain, faith, and unshakable love. She is the proud mother of two children, both born with albinism, and her journey is one of courage in the face of stigma, superstition, and misunderstanding.
When her first child was born with albinism, neither Martha’s family nor her husband’s family had ever seen anyone with albinism. The community around them reacted with gossip and fear. Martha stood firm in her faith, with the support of her family, loving Boaz as a gift from God.
The challenges continued when her second child, Grace, was also born with albinism. The family moved near a gold mine for Martha’s husband’s job, and the danger for the children and family increased. Martha lived in constant fear for her children’s lives and well-being.
As Boaz grew, Martha tried to enroll him in school. He was rejected time and again due to his albinism. Martha was determined to help her children receive the education, love, and care they deserve.
Everything changed when the family found Shade. Martha found a place for her children of safety, of belonging, and of hope, a place where their differences are accepted and celebrated. Follow along the next 4 blog posts as we share Martha and Boaz’s story of determination, love, and hope.
