Sandra

Name:  Sandra
Gender:  Girl
Reported birthdate:  March 9, 2008 (currently age 18)
Favorite color:  Orange
Favorite food:  Beans and rice
Favorite activity:  Digging (farming)
Favorite subject:  Chemistry
Child is happy when…  She is with her friends
Child wants to be a…  Doctor
Home information:  Sandra is growing up in the village of Bugoi in rural northeastern Uganda. She lives with her mother; her father passed away. She has 4 brothers and 5 sisters, but only 7 children live at home—they are a household of eight. Sandra is the fourth born. Sandra’s family supports themselves by “digging”—they grow crops to eat and to sell when they can. Her mother also has a small business selling bread. However, they struggle to meet all of their needs, especially paying medical bills for the children, who are often sickly. Sandra helps her family at home by digging, fetching water, and selling bread for her mother. During holidays between school terms, she sometimes also works in other people’s gardens to earn some money for the family.
School information:  Sandra is a student at the Haven of Hope Secondary School. She is currently in S2 (senior 2, the second year of secondary school). Her younger brother Brian is in the same class. 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, Sandra 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 that God will give Sandra and her family good health.