This Giving Tuesday we are introducing our inaugural "Girl of the Year", a profile to help you see more clearly the children you are helping when you give to She Has Hope. This is not an award, but a selection of one girl we have chosen to represent all of the children you help us to support.
Likewise this gives all of us the gift of perspective— the gift of being more thankful for the things we and the children in our lives enjoy without much thought.
Meet Jennifer Kisakye, a five year old girl enrolled in Kindergarten at our rural primary school in Uganda where she receives an education, nutritious meals, clothing, and clean water.
Jennifer's father abandoned the family some time ago. Her mother is HIV positive and unemployed.
They struggle day to day to find the next meal, so the fresh-cooked meals provided at our school make a big difference for mom with one less child to feed on school days.
Her mother is able to find occasional low-paying field labor work, but can often go two weeks to a month without work as the Ugandan economy has become even more challenged in the post-pandemic world.
Here's a brief interview our director conducted with Jennifer:
Do you like school and if so why?
I like school because I learn how to play games with other kids.
What do you like most about your school?
I like getting new friends and sharing with them, and I love the water well where I can get good water anytime I want.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a doctor.
What do you like most about your teacher?
I like that my teacher loves me so much.
A scene from Jennifer's school. Due to negative factors in the Ugandan economy, parents cannot afford the transportation to get their children to the nearest government schools, among other challenges. Thus our enrollment has doubled to almost 600 children and we are struggling to make space but we do not want to turn any child away. More news on how we plan to improve classroom conditions in our next update.
Your giving has made a radical difference in Jennifer's life. Without you, she would likely not be able to attend school, would be malnourished and at greater risk of being trafficked or stuck in child labor.
Once she graduates from the primary school, we will encourage her mother to enroll her at our boarding high school where she will have the opportunity to then seek scholarships to a university where she could someday study to become a doctor.
In other words, her dream is within reach thanks to your generosity which makes our schools possible.
Thanks to the clean water provided to her and her family at the school's community water well, they are also avoiding several water-borne illnesses that are common in the area.
We are so grateful for your support which makes children’s lives like Jennifer’s much more abundant, safe, and filled with hope.
Take Action: sign up for a monthly donation to help sustain our programs | donate your virtual spare change to make real change — register with our RoundUp account
