Houston Scholarship Fund

Thanks to your donation, we are helping more girls this year than we ever have before in one year. Despite all the instability and stress that 2021 has caused, our donors really came through for us in a very big way. W

This year we found so many deserving girls, unable to attend school and suffering from the many effects of Covid. We could not be more grateful for all of your help and support and want you to know that you have given these girls a fighting chance at a sustainable future. BRAVO!

Please take a minute to meet this year's Houston Scholarship Fund recipients!

VERONICA

Veronica is 13 years old and lives with her grandmother since her parents separated many years ago. Her family was not supportive of her continuing her education and without our support, the plan for her was marriage. She was elected class monitor in primary school where she first developed her leadership skills and in a class of 103, she placed 13th overall academically. Part of her success in school was due to her excellent attendance in our Primary School English Tuition program. Although Veronica is a bit shy, she is friendly and confident. She would like to be a doctor. Veronica will be attending Maruvango Secondary School.

DEBORA

Debora is 14 years old and lives with her parents and has 6 siblings. She is the youngest and none of her brothers or sisters are employed, so her parents do small-scale farming to support the family. 

Debora was the only student in her graduating primary school class with an "A" average. She is an excellent student but due to the economic condition of her family, although both parents are supportive of her further education, she would not get a chance to attend secondary school without financial support. She is focused, confident and determined to succeed and will be attending Sega Girls Secondary School.

ANETH

Aneth is 14 years old and attended the local primary school. Because she had a "C" average in her national exam, she was not on our list of potential recipients. Aneth's mom came to our office every day, pleading for our help to support her daughter. There were days when she sat on the step for hours waiting to talk to us about Aneth, often in tears. We decided to visit the family and found a very poor family, struggling to survive with children, grandparents and others sharing a very small two rooms. Although shy and reserved, we could see how much Aneth wanted to go to secondary school. She will be attending Ngongongare Secondary School.

ANETTE

Anette is 14 years old and lives at home with her parents. Neither parent is employed and they both do day labor when it is available to support the family of 6. She has three brothers who have not gone further than primary school and she will be the first person in her family to attend secondary school. She attended our Primary School English Tuition program and would like to be a doctor someday. She will be attending Ngongongare Secondary School.

MIRIAM

Miriam is 14 years old and a ‘B’ average student. She went to Akheri Primary School and was selected to Akheri Secondary School which is a 2 hour walk from her home, where she would have to leave early morning in the dark and return at night; a very dangerous situation for her. She lives with her grandparents, who raised her since she was a child after her father died when she was young. Her mother has no job, and she provides cheap labor in farms so she can provide for her kids and the grandparents who help her to take care of Miriam. Miriam wants to be an Astronomer and she is well informed on what path to take in order to accomplish her dream. She is charming, talkative and confident of what she wants. Covid-19 left this family very financially challenged – especially Miriam’s mother. Miriam will be attending Sega Girls Secondary School.

WINFRIDA

Winfrida is 13 years old and a ‘B’ average student. She went to Kimundo Primary School. Winfrida is the last born in a family of 5 siblings (all girls). Nobody in her family completed secondary school. She lives with her mother and sisters, they all do cheap labor in other people’s farms to fend for themselves. Her father passed away many years ago. Three of her sisters have babies, two of them conceived during the Covid lockdown.
Winfrida is a quiet girl with good social skills. She wants to be a doctor
Her mother told us that she wants to see her daughter succeed in school – she is the only one left with a chance, and she wants to give her the best. Winfrida will be attending Sega Girls Secondary School.

MAURINE

Maurine is 13 years old and a "B" student. She is an orphan. Her mother died from cancer and her father from a motor accident. Maurine and her younger sister live with their uncle who works as a security guard at a local hospital and her aunt who sells bananas in the market. Their uncle has three children. There is a total of 7 people in this family. Maurine wants to be a Pilot and she is committed to working hard in school to accomplish her dream. Because the school she was selected is very far from her home, she will be attending Maruvango Secondary School as a boarder.

MARIA

Maria is 14 years old and went to three different primary schools due to family conflicts and shifting. When her parents separated, she was taken in by her current school headmistress who rescued her from a bad home situation. She is a ‘B’ average student. Maria still lives with her former headmistress, who has shifted jobs three times over the last 7 years, taking Maria with her. Although the headmistress has children of her own to support, she has agreed to be there for Maria during school breaks if she gets a chance at attending a boarding school. She is also going to Maruvango Secondary School as a boarder.

LULU

Lulu is a 13 year old and is a ‘B’ average student – the only B in her entire class. She is the 3rd born in a family of 4 siblings – the only girl. She decided that she wants to be a doctor after realizing that the village dispensary is far and many mothers have died due to delayed delivery. She has been on top of her class since class 4. Her mother depends on farming; her father is alive but not responsible to the family. The hostel at the school she was selected to was full, and her mother had given up on school for Lulu because it was an 8 km walk each way.
She is going to Maruvango Secondary school -boarding.