Opolot Ivan

Name:  Opolot Ivan (goes by Ivan)
Gender:  Boy
Reported birthdate:  Not available (currently about 8 years old)
Favorite food:  Rice
Favorite color:  White
Favorite subject:  Reading
Favorite activity:  Playing football (soccer)
Child is happy when...  He is going to school
Child wants to be a...  Doctor
Home information:  Ivan is growing up in the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. His family resides in Akwei, a small community within Bugoi. He lives with his mother, Betty, his grandmother, Rose, and his two sisters and two brothers. His family has also been caring for three orphaned children. Ivan’s parents divorced some time ago, but his father, David, still lives nearby and Ivan sees him often. Ivan’s family supports themselves by “digging”—they grow maize, beans, cassava, and sorghum to eat and to sell when they can. However, they struggle to meet all of their needs. Ivan helps at home by fetching water.
School information:  Ivan is a student at the Bugoi Haven of Hope Nursery and Primary School. He is currently in middle class, the second year of nursery school (similar to preschool). In Uganda, nursery school lasts for three years and is followed by seven years of primary school and up to six years of secondary school. At school, Ivan 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:  Ivan’s family requests prayer for good health and God’s provision.