At 13, Eric Jeche values going to school with other students in his neighborhood in Zimbabwe. Unlike many of his peers, Eric pays for his own education.
Eric has lived with his grandmother since he lost his parents at a young age. But it’s not easy for his grandmother to pay for his school fees on top of their food, clothing, and other daily expenses, so Eric understands the value of money and work.
Before joining a savings group, he took whatever odd jobs he could find around his neighborhood.
Elizabeth Mutosa says that her neighborhood, Section 10, in Roan, Zambia, has gained a reputation for being a challenging place to live. “Section 10 has been characterized by … activities, like drinking beer, early marriages for young girls, and other activities that rob the peace of every child,” she shares. “There are vulnerable people that need to be helped.”
Despite these challenges, the sound of children singing praises to God can be heard filling the neighborhood. These children attend Elizabeth’s preschool, which she established in her own home.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered Zimbabwe’s schools last March, Lorraine Chifamba’s attendance had been spotty. Sometimes her parents could afford her school fees, uniforms, and supplies—but often, they could not. When she and several other young members of her community, ages 11-18, saw an opportunity to help their parents provide, they joined the Sungano (“Covenant”) savings group. Continue Reading…
Though Ana Cipriano de Sevedia’s education was cut short at the age of 15 because there were no local high schools in her rural Paraguayan community, her love of learning remained. And she’s working hard to create a different outcome for her three sons. “My dream is that they study [at university], that they become someone in life,” she shares. “I work so hard [for this].” Continue Reading…
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you.” Psalm 84:5a
This Mother’s Day, join us in honoring them by reading how three tenacious mothers, rooted in God’s strength, are overcoming obstacles to invest in bold dreams. Continue Reading…
It’s back-to-school season in the United States. Yellow school buses once again join the morning commute; teachers prepare lesson plans for the year to come; social media brims with photos of eager, sharply dressed children.
But around the world, many children are again seeing their peers don neat, identical uniforms and walk to school—and wishing they could join them.
Where education at a young age is both an expectation and a requirement for many of us, it is a hard-earned luxury for much of the world. The numbers are staggering: Around the world, an estimated 62 million elementary school-aged children are not enrolled in school, according to the World Bank.
