Meet 12 bright students who are excellent candidates for sponsorships. Would you consider helping them continue their education by sponsoring one of them?
Abraham is a proven leader, both as the elected class president and as a top performer on the national test. His future goal is to be an engineer. He is the only boy in a family of four children who lost their father in 2006, followed by their mother’s passing in 2012. His uncle then offered him a home in Tloma. Four years later, the uncle had a serious accident that left him crippled in one leg and without employment. Now, even though Abraham is a top student, there is no financial support to help him proceed with his education. As an outstanding student and a future engineer, his best placement would be in a STEM school.
John is a powerhouse personality in a compact body. He has consistently ranked among the top five students since the 4th grade. Teachers have noted that he looks not only for the answers but wants to know the reason for them. Since his future goal is to be an orthopedic doctor, he would do well to attend a STEM school. John’s father is a part time laborer at a local lodge; his mother is at home with two younger children. He is the third oldest of eight children. Three younger children also attend Tloma. His parents have struggled to send his older siblings to school and are now unable to fund John’s secondary school.
Sita has had a long-time goal to top the boys with her scholastic performance. While she did not succeed against all of them, she typically placed about fourth on her class tests, winning her friendly competition against John Phillipo, who finished in fifth place. Sita wants to teach math, her favorite subject. She also says that she wants to change the future not only for her family but for society. She would be an excellent leader for her community and the country, and a perfect candidate for sponsorship.
Bayo has consistently ranked among the top ten students in his classes since Grade 4. He received a ‘B’ grade on the national exam and wants to do medical research. He also likes to sing and would like to have a secondary career in music. Bayo has a developed a strong work ethic while helping in his father’s brick-making company. Despite huge work demands on him, he makes a consistent effort to attend school. He is the second of five children, but his father has other wives and children to support, and Bayo’s education is not a priority. Despite his many challenges, Bayo maintains a fun and upbeat disposition. Bayo would appreciate getting assistance to continue his education as he does not presently have confidence that his family will fund it for him.
Maria is a great example of triumph over adversity. With the recent death of her mother, Maria became an orphan, having lost her father a few years previous. She was then taken in by some relatives. Despite these challenges, Maria has maintained a strong faith and a positive attitude, and is a consistent participant in class. Maria has a caring nature, and is often the first to provide a helping hand to a fellow student. Those traits will come in handy as she pursues her goal to become a community nurse, visiting families in their homes when needed.
Lilian was attending school in another community until 2015 when her parents sent her to help an aged aunt whose health restricts her mobility. Lilian had a B grade on the national exam and wants to continue her education as she would like to pursue a career in the medical field. However, her parents are both unemployed and struggle to provide food for Lilian’s three younger siblings, and her aunt cannot work to provide funds for Lilian’s further education. Her teachers respect Lilian because she is not just a good student, she also has a strong sense of responsibility and is trustworthy. They hope she gets the opportunity to pursue her future education.
Academically, Felista has been a dedicated student who wants to learn and generally excels in Math and English. Her father abandoned the family and provides no support for his three children, but Felista credits her mother with encouraging her to study hard. Felista says one of her biggest challenges is that there is no electricity in their home, so she typically runs out of light before she completes her studies each night. Her goal is to have a career in medicine, and she says she would greatly appreciate having a sponsor to help her reach her goals.
Johnson’s plan is to become an attorney, but his father recently passed away leaving a widow and six children with few resources for even the basics. His mother’s only income comes from the limited amount of vegetables she can sell from her family garden. Johnson is a good student, but he is also a strong and willing worker, eager to volunteer whenever help is required to transport sacks of grains or dig holes or perform other physical labor. His two older brothers are currently attending a ‘local’ secondary school, walking over three miles to get there. Sponsorship to a boarding school would be the best option for him to realize his hopes to become an attorney.
Martina is a good student, is popular with her classmates and served as an elected class officer. On weekends, she works for a family tending children, doing farm work, or other labor to earn money to fund her school needs. Her father has a medical condition that has taken away his ability to walk and he can no longer care for his farm or provide for his family of seven. Martina wants to become a nurse.
Even without knowing her name, one might easily call her Happyness just due to her bright smile and cheerful attitude. Which is surprising considering her father passed away when she was much younger and her mother became a drug addict, leaving Happyness alone for weeks at a time. When she was in fourth grade, Happyness asked if she could stay with a neighboring family and she has been there ever since. Now she needs to find financial support so that she can attend secondary school. She is a good student (B’s and above) and she wants to continue her education to become a nurse.
Tecla is described by her teachers as a quiet thinker. Her goal is to be a teacher. Two older siblings are currently enrolled in secondary and university classes, and there are four younger siblings living at home. ‘Home’ is about 35 km distant as Tecla lives with a cousin who teaches at Tloma Primary School so that she can more easily attend classes. Her parents are farmers and have little income. Her cousin also has a growing young family, so Tecla has limited options for being able to secure funds to pursue her education. Her teachers believe she would be an excellent teacher and are hopeful she will receive funding.
Although only 12 years old and diminutive in size, Sophie is definitely a leader at Tloma, especially when it is performance time. This little body packs a large singing voice and an even larger personality. At home, she is also a big help to her family as she washes clothes, cleans house, and cooks. Her father farms the land and her mother has a cow and a calf to provide food for the family. Sophie loves to serve and intends to become a pastor in the future, but now she needs someone to help her out by providing funding for her further education.
Neema is a trooper. She has an as-yet unidentified condition that gives her a broken gait, difficulty writing, and garbled speech. But the ‘C’ average on her national exam reveals her capable mental abilities. She is always right in the thick of things and isn’t afraid to try to participate. Her classmates generally understand her quite well and are very accepting and supportive of her. Her teachers would like to see her have the opportunity to be placed in a school that can address her special needs. With her drive, a special needs school could open the door to a variety of options for her.