The past two years have been particularly hard for children in Uganda. Schools remained shut through most of the pandemic. Light a Candle, our program there, worked tirelessly to help these children succeed in their education despite the seemingly impossible situation. Despite school closures, children have remained committed to pursuing education however they can, and several have successfully passed exams to proceed to the next grade. In 2021, three of our students graduated high school and are now preparing for college!
One of these graduates is Job. Job grew up in the slums of Kampala, where his life was defined by extreme hunger, domestic violence, and no opportunity to go to school. As the oldest child in his family, he was stripped of any chance to enjoy a healthy childhood.
“I was seeing other children going to school while I was left home to look after my younger siblings and there was never any sign of me ever going to school,” he said. Job all but gave up on the idea that he could have a purpose beyond just surviving. The violence in Job’s home got so bad that at one point, he decided the only option he had was to run away.
It was then that our program found him and was able to provide tuition so he could go to school, “I was able to finish school without ever worrying of being sent home for [lack of] fees.”
Job is now on his way to fulfilling his dream of going to nursing school. He is the first person in his family, and his entire community, to ever go to college. His dream is to “use my nursing skills to impact lives and be a ray of hope to my family and community.”
Job is a trailblazer. Through faith, and help from Forward Edge, he’s traversing completely new territory into a college education and a career in helping others. We can’t wait to see all God does in and through him in the years to come!
This story was shared in our 2021 Annual Report. You can view our full report here >>
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10 yrs. old
Entered the program: October 2019
Laban lives with his father, stepmother, and three older siblings in a new three-room metal house with electricity and a cement floor courtesy of the Mama Beth housing project. The home has a well-constructed kitchen and the family uses firewood for cooking. They also have and a good bathroom facility with a pit latrine. Water is retrieved from a neighbor’s borehole that is boiled for drinking.
Laban's biological mother abandoned the family and his father suffered deep depression for a long time which affected his ability to work. The Mama Beth program has stepped in to help Laban's family; they will be able to live in this home for three years while they get on their feet.
Laban's little brother, John, and sisters, Ruth and Hannah, are also in the Mama Beth program.
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