Ireen from Zambia, Africa, had a difficult childhood. When her father passed away, her mother couldn’t afford to care for her children with her small income as a housekeeper. She sent her four children, including Ireen, to live with their grandfather. He also had trouble providing everything the children needed, and often could not afford their school fees. “I started at Kasisi Primary School when I was five, but had no one to pay for my school fees,” she recalls. Irene wasn’t able to regularly attend school for many years.
When Ireen was 10 years old, she was sponsored by Chalice through our Serenje Site. “I was so blessed to be a part of the Chalice sponsorship program,” she smiles. Sponsorship allowed her to attend school every single day with the proper supplies to learn. She received lots of support to help her succeed. “The Chalice site workers often visited me at home to see me and see how I was doing in school,” she recalls. Ireen worked hard in school, and had excellent marks upon her grade 12 graduation.
Ireen was accepted into college for her outstanding academic achievement. It had always been her dream to become a teacher, so she decided to study childhood education. Ireen graduated from college in 2016, and is now a primary teacher at Kasisi Primary School, the school she first attended when she was a little girl.
“I’m so happy I’m able to give back to my community and help my family,” Ireen expresses. “I love teaching and would like to see all of the vulnerable children succeed in life. May God bless, guide, and protect all of you helping children through Chalice.”
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