Ep. 121: Emmanuel Nabieu on a journey back home.
Hey friends, Raleigh Sadler here. In this deeply moving episode of MercyCast, I sit down with Emmanuel Nabu—known to many as Nabs—to talk about his incredible journey from growing up as an orphan in Sierra Leone to becoming an advocate for family-based care and child welfare in the same orphanage!
This conversation is close to my heart. Nabs shares how he lost his father during the civil war, spent nearly a year homeless as a child, and eventually found himself in an orphanage. But that’s just the beginning. His story is one of raw adversity, unmatched resilience, and the kind of healing that only happens in the presence of real community support.
What struck me most was how Nabs highlights a truth that’s too often overlooked: most children in orphanages are not orphans—they're there because their families are too poor to care for them. We talk about how shifting from institutional care to family-based care can break this cycle of poverty and bring real, lasting change.
Nabs reminded me—and I hope reminds you—that there is purpose in our pain, and even the darkest moments can shape us into compassionate advocates for others. His journey challenges us all to show up with compassion, to support vulnerable families, and to believe that hope has a way of rising up.
Highlights and takeaways from the conversation:
Every difficulty can point us outside of ourselves.
Nabs lost his father in Sierra Leone’s civil war and experienced homelessness before entering an orphanage at age 9.
Orphanages often serve children from impoverished families—not necessarily orphans.
Poverty, not parental loss, is the main driver of institutional care.
Family-based care provides the loving, stable environment children truly need.
Supporting family care systems helps disrupt the poverty cycle.
Healing and transformation are possible when we choose to see people’s potential.
Whether you’re passionate about orphan care, child welfare, or just want to know how you can show up for others facing adversity, this conversation is for you. Let’s lean into this together—because compassion isn’t just a feeling, it’s a movement.
Thanks for listening, and as always, let’s keep mercy at the center.
— Raleigh
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Listen to the full episode:
For more conversations like this one, check out my book, Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking.