Margaret

In early May of 2007, Margaret's mother died of AIDS. Her father had abandoned her when she was very young. After the death of her mother, Margaret went to live with her 27 year old sister. However, two weeks later her sister died of AIDS. Margaret was left to care for her sister's two young children...four year old Ali and five year old Witness.

Margaret was only 12 years old and could not take care of herself let alone provide for two young children. All three of them moved to the home of Margaret's grandmother (Witness and Ali's great-grandmother). However her grandmother was very old, had no job and lived alone. She could not provide for them either.

Margaret and her niece and nephew came to live at Treasures of Africa Children's Home on July 13, 2007. When they arrived, Margaret was extremely quiet and withdrawn. She had been attending primary school but we were told by her teachers that she was doing very poorly and was unmotivated. The deaths of her mother and sister had changed her and she no longer appeared to put effort into her school work.

We gave Margaret a few weeks to settle into living with here at TOA before enrolling her in the local primary school. Margaret spent those first few weeks in our tutoring classroom with our teachers. After giving her a few simple tests to determine where she was academically, our teachers began to work with her in those weak areas. Margaret enjoyed herself those first few weeks and realized that she could do the work. As she became more and more comfortable here she began to shine with confidence.

By the end of the two weeks she was excited to start school again. She completed her fifth grade year in December 2007 and did well on all of her final exams. She is now in sixth grade and enjoying school.

Margaret is a beautiful girl with a precious, loving heart. When she is not working on her studies she can be found doing chores, helping with the babies, or sitting and reading her Bible. She loves the Lord and is a blessing to have with us.