This is a profile of one of African Girls Can’s students, and it is also very much the story of her father.
Shake this man’s hand and you will instantly notice that it is the most hard and calloused you have ever felt. Imagine a very smart student who is often in tears and distracted from her studies, worrying about whether she will be able to stay at school.
Families all over Africa do pretty much anything to raise the necessary funds for their children’s school fees. In the countryside of Northern Uganda, selling vegetables, livestock and handicrafts such as clay pots are common ways to earn money. Parents know that education, as many years in school as possible, is the path out of poverty and to a brighter future for their children, so they make it a priority. If they can. The basic needs of life are food, water, shelter and clothing. Sanitation, education and healthcare should also be on this list, but generally are beyond the reach of families in this area.
That’s when they must be especially resourceful and creative. Meet Okwanga Alex. For two years, this dedicated and determined Dad has been paying his daughter Patricia’s fees at St. Katherine School as best he can with the bricks he makes. Yes, he actually pays in bricks. Until this year when the school informed him that their brick pile in the schoolyard is big enough and they really don’t need any more.
When we inquired whether there were any bright students who were having extreme difficulty staying in school due to expenses, the administrators at St. Katherine immediately suggested Patricia.
Patricia, currently in her 3rd year of secondary school is an exceptional student, but at the same time, her story is not unlike other girls in Northern Uganda. She was born on Valentine’s Day, 2000 (this makes her 17 and in 9th grade). In her letter to us asking to be considered for a scholarship, Patricia recalled her childhood: “sometimes at home we could not eat food every day.” Primary school teachers recognized her intelligence and allowed her to sit for her PLE (Primary Leaving Exam) despite having a balance owed on her account.
Patricia missed much of her 2nd year of secondary school as she often stayed home to contribute to the family’s income by helping make bricks. However, she made it back at the end of the school year to take final exams. Despite her long absences, she performed strongly and advanced to the next grade. The difficulty of last year is still vivid in her mind: “In Senior Two, I had a lot of challenges that I had never faced in my life and that I will never forget as long as I live.”
On March 31st, African Girls Can visited Patricia’s family to learn more about their situation. We received permission from the school for Patricia to accompany us. The entire family of eight lives in one small thatched hut in a dusty compound. Patricia’s mother, Milly, works in the nearby garden.
Patricia’s tears have dried. She has overcome so many hurdles to be where she is today (hunger and hard labor to name two). She says, “I now have the confidence to stay in school and study free minded, unlike previous years when I could not concentrate due to the problem with school fees. My hobby is studying to be someone in the future.”
When our Home Visit was over, Alex insisted on joining us to make sure that Patricia arrived safely back at school. He beams with pride that his daughter is there, in her yellow St. Katherine’s uniform, and ready to study. He then turned and walked the 4 kilometers back down the dirt road alone. Back to his home, the rest of the family, and another day of making bricks.
