Doreen

Name:  Doreen
Gender:  Girl
Reported birthdate:  August 5, 2011 (currently age 14)
Favorite color:  Blue
Favorite food:  Beans and posho
Favorite activity:  Playing netball
Favorite subject:  History
Child is happy when…  She is playing with friends
Child wants to be a…  Lawyer
Home information:  Doreen is growing up in a trading center near the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. She lives with her aunt and younger brothers—they are a household of four. Doreen’s aunt supports the family through her small business of selling bread. The family also supports themselves by “digging”—they grow crops to eat and to sell when they can. However, they struggle because they do not have their own farmland and must rent other people’s land for digging. Doreen helps her family at home by fetching water, cooking, and washing plates.
School information:  Doreen is a student at the Haven of Hope Secondary School. She is currently in S2 (senior 2, the second year of secondary school). 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, Doreen boards at school, returning home for holidays. At school, she 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 for success in Doreen’s education.