Ireen Chanda
Ireen is highly determined! Due to her academic prowess, we offered to send her to a Boarding school when we first met her in 2020, and again when she passed grade 9 in 2021. She is committed to her elderly Grandmother who supports her, and knows that Grandma would have a hard time completing basic tasks if Ireen went to a Boarding School. Until last year, she had the support of her Grandfather as well, who was a pensioner, but unfortunately, he passed away in early 2022. Ireen is self-motivated and determined and will go far with your support!.
Loveness Mwansa
Loveness Mwansa lost her hearing after falling ill with Malaria when she was 12. Soon after, she lost her parents as well. Having had her hearing up to that point put her at an advantage in terms of learning as compared to those pupils who are born deaf. She came to our program soon after losing her hearing and we put her in a special school for the deaf. She currently attenda an even better school in Copperbelt, where she has been appointed as the leader of her class. She is incredibly intelligent and her bright smile lights up any room. When she is not in school she is kept by her Aunt and Grandfather, She will graduate grade 12 in 2024. Learn more about Loveness.
Faith Chanda
Faith Chanda is a very strong and determined little girl. In 2019, her Mother brought her to our offices. At the time she was only four years old. Faith’s Mom has always known in her heart that this girl needs to be in school. After multiple surgeries to correct her club feet, braces on her growing little legs, and years of physio therapy to help her learn to walk, Faith is ready to enter grade 1 in 2022.
Faith’s Father suffers from the same condition. Through hard work and a strong partnership, Faith’s parents have been able to meet the basic needs of their family, living together in a grass thatched house in a shanty compound outside of Kasama Town. Faith is attending a Boarding School for special pupils which is run by the Catholic Church here in Kasama. Learn more about Faith’s journey
Purity Mulenga
Purity Mulenga was born blind. She lives with her Mother, Sisters, and elderly Father in a very rural village about 60 km from Kasama. The family really struggles just to meet their basic needs, and provides for themselves through subsistence farming and foraging.The costs associated with travelling and boarding at a special school are beyond their capacity to provide. Purity attends a special school for the blind where she will graduate grade 12 in 2030.
Patience Konkola
Patience Konkola is being kept by her Grandmother who keeps and cares for 9 of her grandchildren who have lost their parents. They live in a house which is unfinished, and in which they are able to stay rent-free to look after the property while the one constructing it finds money to complete it and rent it out. Patience is exceptionally bright and active. Here she is pictured in costume as she performed traditional dance for our 2021 Independence Day celebration. Patience attends the finest girl’s school in Kasama and walks more than an hour each way to get there. She will graduate grade 12 in 2024.
Lydia Mwansa
Lydia Mwansa is being kept by her auntie and uncle since losing her parents in 2015. She worked hard and earned our respect and admiration in grades 8 and 9, and she passed her grade 9 exam with excellent results. She will graduate in 2024 and is now studying at a boarding school. She has ambitions to be a nurse and help other children passing through challenges that she has.
Trinah Mutale
Trinah Mutale will graduate high school in 2024. She is a hard working young woman who has really persisted to make it as far as she has. She lives with her single Mom and the family does not have access to electricity, which makes it hard for Trinah to study sometimes. She say the thing that makes her most happy in life is school.
Theresa Chileshe
Theresa describes herself as “a learner with big dreams”. She scored the highest on her grade 7 national exams of any of our 2021 bursary applicants. She dreams of becoming a medical doctor.
Given Chileshe
Given will graduate school in 2023. Though both of her parents are alive, they struggled so much to afford school for her that they took her far from home to a school (PEAS) which was offering free education. We found Given there, renting a simple grass thatched house, with dreams of a brighter future. She dreams of providing for herself and her family one day and would even love to become a Social Worker to help other girls who face challenges as she has.