Faith’s mother was born a girl into a family that would never allow her to go to school or learn – the two things she wanted most. As a child her mum would sneak out and hide near the school windows, just to listen to the voice of the teachers and learn what she could through a window.
When she became a mum herself, she tried her best to send her children to school. She would encourage them to study every night and she would learn as well from her children.
When Faith’s parents separated times became hard for her mum as she struggled to provide school fees and even one meal a day.
Due to a lack of education, Faith’s mum was resigned to doing cooking, cleaning and farming to try to support her family.
Faith she says she is proud that her mother is the smartest, strongest woman she has ever met in the world. She often imagines what she would’ve become had the family let her study. Sometimes she thinks a teacher for sure, sometimes a doctor, sometimes thinks she would have written novels, but she knows for sure that whatever it was she would have left a huge impact on the world.
Given a chance
Unlike her mum, Faith had the opportunity to attend school through S.A.L.V.E. and an education sponsor.
She says:
“I would lie if I said my mother didn’t want me to go to school because I am a girl.
Because I’m a girl I can have whatever profession I want.
Because I am a girl, I can do all the things those before me were denied.
I can go to school and support any child to see he/she attends class. I can bring life into the world and give the world life just like my profession is saving lives. I can fight for my rights. I can become a president. I can change the whole entire world. I am not bothered and cannot be stopped by the little comments and beliefs that should have never existed. Because I am a girl. And every day is my day”.
The strength of women
All these inspirational words are said by Faith who I have seen grow from a little girl to now a nurse. Despite the challenge she faced, Faith never gave up and she stood strong with S.A.L.V.E.’s support. She is strong because her mother is her role model and has achieved both her and her mum’s dream of an education.
I am so inspired seeing Faith achieve her goals and her mother’s too. She has an inner strength that I believe all girls do.
![A young woman is wearing a graduation cap and gown, posing for the camera sat next to a man.](https://www.salveinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Website-homepage-pics-7.png)
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