By Joyce E. Latson | Founder/Administrator
We are very excited about the progress of the school program. Yes, there have been delays due to internal governmental changes resulting in new leadership. The new regime is appearing to support education of girls but have not made any significant changes to date. Two of our girls graduated in 2021 but did not past the university test for enrollment. They are studying to re-take the university test. They both are pursuing careers in medicine. We are still awaiting the details due to the cost associated with these new expenses. We are more than happy to adjust our budget for future graduates.
The young woman I would like you to meet is Blandine. According to our partner and Leader this has been one of the most complicated cases they have had in a while. Her family situation is dire but she must be able to go to her village, which is quite a distance from the city to see her family, especially her older sister who as a result of the violence she suffered, has been paralyzed for almost 15 years. We know partially that she was the victim of rape, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Blandine’s father died shortly after Blandine’s birth leaving the family without protection and very poor. However, overall, Blandine is making extraordinary progress, she is doing extremely well in her nursing classes. She is tenth in the region, well above most of her classmates. Her great initiatives pushes the team to tackle her social and family problems which could, if not solved in time become obstacles to her success.
Our Blandine is a 20-year-old single mom who has a great chance of changing her life, her child’s life, and her family’s life. Becoming a nurse will provide the income, dignity and hope that this family so desperately needs. That’s why we do what we do. The pictures may not be pleasant, but this is the reality for some of our girls.
Please note, the school year 2022-2023 began October 4, 2022, with 18 girls in school: 1 in kindergarten, 4 in Primary grades, 5 in Secondary grades, 7 in High School and 1 in college (our shining star Blandine. We are so appreciative of our partners who make this possible, thank you seems small compared to the results we see in the lives of these beautiful children. You do make a difference and we want you to know how your support encourages us as well.
Meet Blandine, her child and her sister.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
