When this young woman was first referred to our care in 2008, she and her brother were found living with their grandmother. They were severely malnourished and had been expected to work to provide for the family. The children were brought to the Children’s Resource Center (CRC) so they could receive proper nutrition, medical attention, trauma relief therapy, love, and an opportunity to pursue their dreams. She started in Grade 4 at the Carol Zulu Primary School and, with the combined help of trauma therapy and counseling, was able to progress well in school. When she began Grade 10, she was placed with a loving foster family near her secondary school in the city.
Through the Be That Girl program, she has graduated from Grade 12 as well as from a General Hospitality program, and is now pursuing full-time employment. Of her experience she said, “For one to achieve dreams and goals, one needs to be a fighter, to believe in oneself despite negative setbacks that may arise. This program has impacted the lives of many girls from rural communities who were unable to have access to quality education, and now they are enjoying and also encouraging their fellow girls to never give up on their dreams, no matter what happens.”
