Alfred

Name:  Alfred
Gender:  Boy
Reported birthdate:  2009 or 2010 (currently about age 16)
Favorite color:  Blue
Favorite food:  Pork and local bread
Favorite activity:  Playing football (soccer)
Favorite subject:  Mathematics
Child is happy when…  He is playing football with friends
Child wants to be a…  Doctor
Home information:  Alfred is growing up in a small community near the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. He lives with his mother and has four brothers and three sisters. A relative also lives with them, making them a household of ten. Alfred’s mother supports the family through her small business of cutting and selling grasses that people use to build grass-thatched huts. The family also supports themselves by “digging”—they grow crops to eat and to sell when they can. However, they struggle to have enough food, pay medical bills, and meet other needs. Alfred and his two brothers in the sponsorship program, Geofry and Lazarus, are the only children in the family going to school. Alfred helps his family at home by digging.
School information:  Alfred is a student at the Bugoi Haven of Hope Nursery and Primary School. He is currently in P5 (primary grade 5). His brother Lazarus is also in P5, and Geofry is in P6. 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. During school terms, Alfred boards at school, returning home for holidays. At school, he 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.
Child's prayer request:  Please pray that God will give Alfred wisdom and good health.