“I want to go to school so that I can become a medical doctor to cure people who are sick.”

Elizabeth’s father died of AIDS when she was very young, and her mother does not have the means to take care for her. She lives with her grandmother, who looks after her but cannot afford secondary school fees.  Thanks to a Batonga scholarship, Elisabeth is now in secondary school.

Fatma is a 12 year-old 7th Grader at Midi Ag ONANE School in Kidal, Mali.  Without the support she receives from Batonga, Fatma would not be able to attend school. Fatma’s mother is the main bread-winner for her family and sells spices and vegetables at the market. Each day before school, Fatma helps her mother set up her stall at the market, which she enjoys because it allows her to spend quality time with her mother.

Of all the subjects in school, Fatma has the hardest time with math. She says that the remedial classes provided through the scholarship have helped her understand math much better. This has freed up some of her time to study English and music, her two favorite subjects. Because of her love of animals, Fatma aspires to become the Minister of Husbandry.

Helen is a 10 year-old Batonga scholarship recipient.  Her life has not been easy: she lives in a group home and has no family.  What she does have, though, is tremendous determination and an intense desire to learn.  She is living proof of the promise of Batonga’s scholarship program in Ethiopia.

When Helen started her program in 2006, she spoke almost no English but was filled with hope and determination.  Helen became a regular student at the summer English program at the youth center and rapidly progressed up the levels of instruction.  One year later, Helen was able to read and speak English fluently.

“It was a great joy to learn that I would receive support for schooling once again. I felt secure and able to continue my studies.”

Chikirato was 12-years-old when her mother died. Now 16-years-old and in 7th grade, a Batonga secondary school scholarship has allowed her to continue her studies.

In addition to being a role model and provider for her family, Chikirato loves being a student. She likes working in groups and relishes the company of other girls. She also enjoys sports, particularly basketball and volleyball.

“I think education is important because it opens the spirit.”

She comes from a family with two older brothers and two younger sisters, and Nanaïssa loves math. “My proudest moment this past year was when I went from being 13th in the first semester, to 5th in the second semester. This is because I didn’t have the all the books or the materials in the first semester.” Nanaïssa dreams of becoming a doctor. It is girls like her who will be Batonga Girls in Mali, starting in September.

“I was so happy to see my mother. I saw her and said, ‘Mama, I’m saved.’”

Reine was removed from primary school and forced to move away when her parents could no longer support her. After being beaten and mistreated, she escaped and returned home. Her family had been unaware of the consequences of sending her away, and when the director of her school asked her to re-enroll, her mother was relieved. A Batonga Girl Scholarship will allow girls like Reine to continue their education in secondary school, the tuition which her parents could never afford.