Auma Sharon

Name:  Auma Sharon (goes by Sharon)
Gender:  Girl
Reported birthdate:  May 5, 2005 (15 years old)
Favorite food:  Fish
Favorite activity:  Digging
Child is happy when...  She is praying
Child wants to be a...  Nurse
Home information:  Sharon is growing up in the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. Her family resides in Akwei, a small community within Bugoi. Sharon lives with her mother and father and has five sisters and five brothers. Her family supports themselves by “digging”—they grow maize and potatoes to eat and to sell at market when they can. Sharon helps at home by fetching water and cooking.
School information:  Sharon attended a government-run school through grade 4, but her family struggled to keep paying her school fees and meet her physical needs. She was able to join grade 5 at the Bugoi Haven of Hope Nursery and Primary School in February 2020. Sponsorship will fund her continued education and care there. In Uganda, nursery school lasts for three years and is followed by seven years of primary school and six years of secondary school. Sharon's younger sisters Ayenyo Agnes and Nabwire Gertrude also attend the Haven of Hope school. Gertrude joined grade 5 with Sharon this year.
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. 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:  Sharon asks for prayer to continue her education.