Amony Mercy

Name:  Amony Mercy (goes by Mercy)
Gender:  Girl
Reported birthdate:  May 29, 2009 (currently age 12)
Favorite food:  Beans
Favorite color:  Orange
Favorite subject:  Christian religious education
Favorite activity:  Reading her books
Child is happy when...  She is going to school
Child wants to be a...  Nurse
Home information:  Mercy is growing up in the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. Her family resides in Imakoroch, a small community within Bugoi. She lives with her father, Charles, and has one brother and four sisters. Her mother is alive but left their family, so Charles now cares for all of the children. Mercy’s family supports themselves by “digging”—they grow beans, maize, and millet to eat and to sell when they can. However, they struggle to meet all of their needs. Mercy helps at home by cooking.
School information:  Mercy joined the Bugoi Haven of Hope Nursery and Primary School in 2020, just before Uganda closed its schools due to Covid. She studied from home until schools fully reopened in January 2022. Mercy is now in primary grade five (P5). In Uganda, nursery school lasts for three years and is followed by seven years of primary school and six years of secondary school. At school, Mercy will continue to learn and play, be taught about God, and receive meals, medical care, and clothing.
Village information:  In Bugoi, most people live in small groupings of mud huts with thatched roofs and depend on small-scale farming or gardening to feed themselves. This is often made difficult by drought, which can lead to poor harvests and famine. The Haven of Hope school is located beside a lake, where some villagers also engage in fishing. Families tend to be large, and many adults care for orphans in addition to their biological children. Disease, including HIV and AIDS, is common and has left many children without one or both of their parents. Poverty also keeps many children from attending school, as families struggle to meet their basic needs and afford school fees.
Prayer requests:  Mercy requests prayer that God will help her study well.