By Benedict Mukoni………………….
For Dorothy, a Form Four student, life once felt heavier than any child should ever have to carry. After her parents separated, her father returned to Sudan and her mother later left as well, leaving Dorothy, her brother, and their elderly grandmother to survive on their own.
With no stable source of income and a grandmother too old to work, the family struggled to meet even their most basic needs. There were days when putting food on the table was nearly impossible. At times, Dorothy and her brother were forced onto the streets to beg for money just to survive.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Dorothy’s made a difficult decision. Determined to support her family, she began working as a housemaid. While the work was exhausting and the pay was small, she used every coin to care for her brother and grandmother. Even then, continuing her education seemed like a distant dream.
Dorothy later enrolled at Bishop Sisto Mazzoldi Secondary School, juggling schoolwork with the weight of responsibility at home. Often, the money meant for her school fees had to be shared with her family. As a result, she missed classes, skipped exams, and struggled to keep up. Her future hung in the balance.
That changed when Bakhita Partnership for Education stepped in.
Through the organization’s support, the burden Dorothy’s had carried for years began to lift. For the first time, she could focus fully on her studies. She no longer had to choose between education and survival.
“Now I can sit in class without worry,” Dorothy says. “I can do my exams, I can study at home, and my family is at peace.”
The impact reached beyond Dorothy’s herself. Her grandmother, once weighed down by worry, now proudly speaks of her granddaughter’s success. Though she has never met the founders of Bakhita Partnership for Education (BPE) in person, she remains deeply grateful for the hope they restored to their family.
Dorothy’s also credits her teachers, especially Madam Grace, for believing in her and selecting her for the program among many students facing similar challenges.
Looking ahead, Dorothy’s dreams are bigger than ever. She hopes to become a doctor and one day open an orphanage to support children facing hardships like her own.
“I want to show others that angels do exist in this world,” she says. “Just like someone believed in me, I want to help other girls and children find light in their lives.”
From a life marked by loss and struggle, Dorothy’s story now stands as a powerful reminder that with support, education can transform pain into purpose and hardship into hope.
