News from Rumbek
Monica – a bookworm and future teacher
Monica’s mother was her father’s second wife and had eight children. While Monica was in Primary Eight, her mother fell ill and passed away, leaving her and her siblings to their father. Her elder sister, also a Loreto graduate, was in the internship program then but had to go and look for employment to support the siblings. While Monica was in Senior 2, her father also passed away, and her elder sister was left in charge of her education and paid her fees until she completed Senior 4. During this challenging time, Loreto supported the family through food supplies until her sister got a job and could support the family.
As soon as Monica graduated from Loreto, she enrolled in a computer training course in Rumbek before she was invited to join the internship in Loreto. Finally, she could also contribute something to her family’s upkeep through her stipend. During her internship, she worked in the primary school and moved later to the clinic. Her initial aspirations were to become a doctor, and she obtained much experience while interning at the clinic. Her experience in the clinic enabled her to interact with the community and understand their challenges. She then moved to the library, and while there, she discovered she enjoyed reading books. “I read lots of books during this time and loved it to interact with the students.” she said. Finally, she moved to work in the Headteacher’s office and learned much about school administration. Now Monica is studying Education in Kenya. She looks forward to supporting students achieve their dreams.
Asked what she learned most in Loreto, Monica says: “After all those years, I´m able to speak English very well and got the confidence to speak in front of groups of people, and I can speak up on behalf of others.” Her classmates would add that she has the passion to encourage and support others going through difficult times. While in Senior 4, she identified five boys who regularly came to Loreto for leftover food. She spoke with them and afterwards went to the director, seeking support for them. Two of the boys were taken to the Loreto Primary School, where they receive daily meals.
“Loreto girls influence their communities and speak out for girls’ education.”
Monica noted: “Loreto girls influence their communities and speak out for girls’ education. People are convinced of the value of education when they see that many have returned home and built large stone buildings for their families”.
This work would simply not be possible without financial support. We are very grateful to all those who believe in our mission and support our work, particularly in relation to educating and empowering girls and women. If you would like to help us assist more women like Monica, please visit our online donation page.
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