Ntombiekayise is a teenager at my Moneni carepoint. She graduated from our program last January, but arrived at the carepoint on the first day of the new school year crying.
“I have no school fees,” She told our teacher.
For months she stayed at home, day in and day out,- not really a good idea for a teenage girl in Moneni
“Christy, she’s 12 now. How long until she begins prostituting for school fees, or becomes pregnant?” her teachers asked me.
After months of trying, the teachers convinced her to come back to the carepoint during the days. She sat in with the students of the literacy program to keep her skills fresh.
Thankfully, our prayers were answered in June when newhope church visited Swaziland. They met Ntombiekayise, and visited her home and mother (who has since passed). Touched by her story, the team donated the funds for her, and two others to attend school in ’09.
So now, Ntombiekayise will have a happy ending… at least for ’09. But in the last month I’ve had more pleas for school fees than ever at Moneni. Several parents have died this year, and a few sponsorships have ended, leaving those with committed school fees empty handed. It’s sad to think that many of my babies will go without.
2 comments:
Thank you for the reminder! We all need to continue to give in any way we can! :0)
I was in West Africa roaming around from Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso etc. I was surprised to hear that some girls prostituted themselves to get school fees. I was even more in horror or the idea that some teachers would induce the girls to have sex also for favors or to get into school. You are the first person I have ever read who recognized this.. Thanks from Andy of HoboTraveler.com Travel Blog and Hotels
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