“I dream of becoming a doctor, and that is only possible with the help of my sponsor. Her encouragement has shown me that am worthy to have dreams and pursue them. I see her as my second mother.” – Gloria
When you sponsor a child through African Vision of Hope you have the opportunity to welcome them into your family. Through your love and encouragement, students feel loved and dream about their futures for the first time in their lives. Their lives are being transformed from despair to hope right before your eyes.
Gloria and her 4 siblings live with their single mother in a compound surrounding our school in Kabulonga. Trying to provide for them, her mother washes other people’s clothes, but it’s never enough to feed the family, provide a roof over their heads, and pay for their school fees. Struggling to care for her children and provide the life they deserve, Gloria’s mother came to African Vision of Hope to beg for a place in school for Gloria, and she was enrolled in the 5th grade.
(Pictured: Gloria, her mother, and little brother in front of their home.)
The next school year when Gloria was absent, Child Protection Officers (CPOs) and teachers paid a visit to her home. Gloria was found working, trying to help support her struggling family. Providing a way for her to quit working and come back to school, the CPOs gave her a new school uniform, school supplies, and provided her family with emergency food supplies. Once she returned, CPOs ensured Gloria had a support system, encouraging her to continue pursuing her education – the key to breaking the cycle of extreme poverty experienced by her family. “I love this school, especially the caring staff members. They encourage me to stay in school and work hard, especially my teacher Mrs. Muntali. At home I am not told “I love you,” but at school, I am surrounded by teachers and friends who love me. Many times, I come to school with an empty stomach, but I know that when I reach school I will have a warm meal.”
Today, Gloria is in the 7th grade and has a sponsor on the other side of the globe who is rooting for her, urging her towards success. “My sponsor, Miram, encourages me in the letters she sends. If it were not for my African Vision of Hope sponsor, I would not be educated. It is such a gift that my schooling is free, and it’s because of my sponsor and sponsors just like her. When facing the struggles that wait for me every day at home, I remember her encouragement to continue pursuing education. I love reading her letters and learning about her family and kids. I dream of becoming a doctor and serving my community, and that is only possible with the help of my sponsor. Her encouragement has shown me that am worthy to have dreams and pursue them. I see her as my second mother.”
Through sponsorship children, like Gloria, are transformed from despair to hope, from worthless to valued, and from poverty to possibility. Will you change a life today?
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