This girl looks older than her age. She is healthy, a little shy, but is a sweet girl.
She loves school and has had good school results each year, except for last year when she was in grade 4. About a year ago about the time she started in grade 4, she suffered with a huge shock because her mother died. Mum was on her motorbike travelling home from work when she had a serious accident. Fortunately, she is ...getting over the shock and started to
make progress in term 2 last year and continues to make progress.
Although the family borrowed US$850 to afford her mother’s brain surgery, she still lost her mom. The father now works really hard to afford the family expenses and his children’s educational costs.
Since the mother died her father has to spend more time caring for his children and their 78 year old granny. He can’t get to work early in the morning, so it means he collects less rubber.
Although she is very young still she has to help her father to look after her siblings and do some household chores each day after she returns from school. She doesn’t have much time with her friends, except at school.
The father collects rubber from rubber trees in the forest and can earn about US$100 a month. Although he has a low income he still tries to cover all costs including the interest on the debt each month. I feel so sorry for the children and the dad as he has work as much as he can, and be both mother and father, and that is impossible.
Therefore, with financial support from a sponsor, this young girl can continue on to grade 5 this academic year (2016-2017). US$225 would not only pay for her school fees but would also provide her with uniform, sport shoes, shoes, hat, bag, stationery and extra tuition and at the same time it would reduce her father’s financial burden.
(Staff photos)