Meet Alice. At nine years old she was fighting for her life after an horrific accident with a paraffin lamp that gave her third degree burns over her abdomen, chest, upper arms and neck.
But as one of our sponsored children, she received huge amounts or love and care… and has now (aged 14) completed her nursery and primary education and moved on up to secondary school. In fact, she’s the first person in her family to go to secondary school, ever!
Alice started with us back in 2008 when we first had the idea of having a nursery in Namatala slum. Her father died when she was little and her mum was struggling to bring up four children by herself (Alice was the youngest). Two years later she suffered her terrible accident and was admitted to JOY Hospice for several weeks, then spent a further couple of months living with Bex and Moses while her mind healed from the trauma.
Not long after, her mother abandoned her in Namatala and went back to her village home, taking two of Alice’s siblings with her, while the third sibling was married off in her teen years, leaving Alice on her own. But she was very happy to come to our children’s home, where she has lived ever since.
Alice is a quiet girl with a ready smile, who can’t quite believe she’s made it to secondary school. She’s not the brightest girl in the class but has worked very hard indeed.
She said:“My life is transformed from the ordinary life to a new life. I have loved studies so much. I will trust God to help me finish my studies. In future I want to become a doctor or a nurse, so I can help the needy ones in the hospitals. I like singing and dancing to gospel music, because if it wasn’t for God by my side, I wouldn’t be what I am today.”
Would you like to sponsor one of the children at our school? Click here for more information.
