Fiona

Name:  Fiona
Gender:  Girl
Reported birthdate:  January 22, 2012 (currently age 12)
Favorite color:  Red
Favorite food:  Rice
Favorite activity:  Sweeping
Favorite subject:  Mathematics
Child is happy when…  She is going to church and school chapel
Child wants to be a…  Nurse
Home information:  Fiona is growing up in the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. She lives with her mother, Damali. Her father passed away. She has 4 sisters. She is the first born. Her family supports themselves by “digging”—they grow crops such as cassava and simsim (sesame) to eat and to sell when they can. However, they struggle to meet all of their needs. Fiona helps at home by fetching water, collecting firewood, sweeping, and washing plates.
School information:  Fiona is a student at the Bugoi Haven of Hope Nursery and Primary School. She is currently in P3 (primary school, grade 3). 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, Fiona 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:  Please pray that God will give Fiona’s family good health and for her schooling.