Where were you at 18 years old? Finishing high school? Starting college? Working at your first “big kid” job? At 18 years old, Tela Lungu has not finished the 8th grade and has no prospects of doing so.
For Tela, life is feast or famine. Right now, it is mostly famine. The oldest of 5 siblings, he is the father figure of the family. His father is dead, and his mother does what work she can find around their village. 
Tela went to school up to the 8th grade, but because his family was struggling to survive and could not pay school fees he traded in his school books for a fishing net. He comes to the riverside every morning and joins older men in catching fish. Sometimes he comes home with a catch. Sometimes he comes home with nothing.
“I have no choice but to do the job. I really need to help my family. Working at the river is not safe because we work in the night and there are crocodiles. If there was someone to help me go to school I would be so happy to finish. “
Less than 5% of Zambians graduate high school. Lack of classrooms, inability to pay for school fees, early child marriage, and child labor are just a few reasons why. Tela doesn’t want to be just another statistic.
By sponsoring a child, you can make room for more students and help build more classrooms.
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