Voices of promising rural Ugandan girls seeking mentorship, please take time to read their Dreams and Visions.

Here are individual personal stories by 28 girls who are so passionate about education.These are promising rural Ugandans seeking one -on-one mentor-ship.

Here is what they have to say:

My parents force me to get married, sometimes they just bring for me a man to marry but I ignore and sometimes I ran away from home and hide until the man goes away. They normally bring men aged 35 -60 years old. In the past I used to stay with my grandmother because my parents do not value girl child education. When she died, I forced my way back home. I live with my parents who never went to school and they do not know the value of education. I always make my own school fees and buy my scholastic materials. I cut trees and burn charcoal and I leave some of the trees as firewood and also sell. I also grow vegetables and sell in the market.

I value education s much, I know that what a man can do, a woman can also do. My dream is to become a lawyer and fight away the violence against girls who are taken as source of making money.

Aboth Regina, 19.

I stay with my grandmother who has been keeping me since I was two weeks old when my mother died. I was breast fed by my grandmother who also had a two weeks old child, so we were breast fed together. I grow crops such as rice, cassava, millet, maize to raise my school fees. If the season is poor, I stay home because I will not have enough to sell and go to school. I always pray to God to help me find someone who can support my education because I value education. I promise to work very hard.

I would like to become a pilot, I always admire the plane flying in the sky when I hear its sound, this makes me want to become a pilot. [Uganda has a flying school]

Akoth Evaline, 19.

My father used to saw cloths and earned money to feed us and educate us, when he died 6 years ago, our world also fell apart. My mother cannot take care of us and even educate me. To the level I am in now, I have been digging for people in the weekends and sometimes I absent myself whenever there is opportunity to raise money in a rich person’s garden. I am praying for support from a good Samaritan because I value education so much. I would like to become a nurse.

Achola Sabina, 18.

Today I live with my Aunt away from home since both of my parents died of HIV and left me with my younger brother. When my parents died I was left helpless by my uncles since I am a girl. Sincerely I thought I would not survive to today, I give God the glory that I am alive.

I work in people’s garden to pay for my education. If you choose to educate me, you will have saved me from many problems. I want to become a teacher not only in school but also to show light or give light to those parents who ignore girls especially the ones that are orphans like me.

Athieno Irene, 17.

I am a hardworking girl, I dig people’s gardens in order to raise money for my school fees. My father died in 2007 and my mother died in 2009 due to HIV. I stay with a relative who wants me to get married, saying that I am an orphan and there will be no one to educate me so I am wasting time with education that I will not complete. I would like to become an engineer in future. If I get a sponsor, I will be very grateful because I will for sure help other people in my situation.

Awor Esther, 19.

I lost my father in 2000 due to HIV, my mother also divorced. I live with my step mother who struggles to feed us and also educate especially her children. My step mother and my uncles want me to get married. We do not even have land, we have a little piece. We always beg people who have land to help us use it for planting crops for a short time. I get my school fees by digging people’s gardens. I would like to become a doctor in future and treat sick people with passion and also tell people to be faithful so that they do not die of HIV and leave their children to suffer.

Alowo Catherine, 15,

I used to work in some people’s plantation to get money for school fees but some people when I worked for them they could not pay me so I tried to work as a house keeper but still I don’t get enough money. Both my parents died. My father died when I was one year old, before my mother died, she also worked in people’s plantations in order to get money to feed us.

I would like to become a doctor and treat the suffering people because my village there is scarcity of hospitals especially those who are poor cannot afford. If you support my education, I promise to work hard to achieve my dream.

Achieng Scovia, 18.

My past has not been easy because when I was born, my father blamed my mother for giving birth to a girl because he believes that girls have no value. I pray to God to help me find someone who can support my education. In future I want to be a governor so that I am able to stand for the suffering people, especially the girls.

Akello Jane Doreen, 16.

Last year I stayed home to raise money for my school fees. I kept a pig and sold it to educate myself. My life is in my own hands because I struggle for my own self. I am the elder girl of 8children. In future I would like to become a business woman who sells cosmetics so that I can support my family, my village, district and my country especially those ones suffering just the way I am now. I will be very grateful if my request reaches you.

Awor Jane Frances, 21.

My life started hardening after the death of my father. I have tried to look for any work in order to get money for school fees and other personal needs. I started to work as a house keeper in my town but all in all I got more problems because my boss could not pay me. I decided to go back home and the situation worsened as my uncles started putting pressure on me to get married. I am in pressure everyday because I am not getting married as my uncles want, they blame my mother that she is the one spoiling me not to get married. If you support my education, I will be very glad and I will also help other girls who will be suffering like me. I would like to become a business woman.

Anyango Solofia, 19.

My father died in 2011 and left so many problems at home, many children and my mother cannot educate all of us. Right now I grow rice, I keep birds so that I can raise school fees. I also want to begin small business in order to raise money to finish my education. My uncles want me to get married by force but that is not my dream, I would like to become a lawyer in order to fight against early marriages which is now a problem in our nation.

Adongo Anna Mary, 19.

I have been struggling with getting my school fees. My father died of HIV. My mother takes care of so many things. I have been working hard to educate myself. I sell water, mangoes, oranges, bananas along the road. I also take part in debates in school, music dance and drama, playing volleyball and netball where sometimes I win bursaries. I would like to become a nurse in future so as save the people who die in the hospitals because of the nurses who do not care about them. If you educate me, I will also educate others.

Akoth Felisters, 18.

My father died of HIV, I live with my mother through difficult conditions. I dig in people’s gardens in order to get money to educate myself. If I fail to get someone to dig for, I just sit home. I am a good girl and I will work hard if someone out there decides to mentor and educate me. I want to become a nurse, to help the sick people who cannot get medication. I will also help in educating other suffering girls if I get educated and mentored.

Auma Beatrice, 18.

I dig crops like cassava to pay my own school fees according to seasons. My parents are poor and never went to school, when I ask them for school fees, they tell me to go and get married. I ask myself where will I get school fees to keep myself in school to ashame my parents from their wish. I want to become a lawyer in future so that I am able to defend the abused girls just as you are going to defended me. You will have saved me from the pain that always makes me cry. God bless you.

Nyadoi Anna Rose, 18.

My father who used to pay my school fees died in 2010. I got stuck so I started working as a house keeper. My male boss started misbehaving so I ran back home to stay with my mother who has other 5children. My mother cannot educate me because even feeding is a problem at home. I am digging to raise money but right now is dry season, there is no one who has work for me. I am kindly requesting for your support so that my dream of education comes true. I do not want to get married. I want to become a banker. I promise to help other people when I am educated.

Athieno Irene, 20.

My parents are aged and not educated; they cannot afford my school fees. In order to make school fees, and add something on the little my parents contribute as my father sells silver fish, I went to work as a house keeper but my male boss wanted to have sex with me so I ran away because I did not want to add another trouble. I love God. I want to become inspector of Police. Through this I will be able to fight away early marriages which will be happening in the lives of the young girls. I promise to work so hard and think better about my future if you choose to mentor and sponsor me.

Achari Christine, 21.

My parents died, I live with my grandmother who is very old. I work for somebody in their garden and they give me money that I use to pay my school fees and buy books and pens. I walk a long distance to and from school totaling to 6miles every day. I get very tired everyday making it difficult to concentrate in class.

In future I would like to become a pilot so that I develop my village and help other people if you help me.

Agolla Mary, 16.

The only way I get school fees is by working as a house keeper for other people during holidays. It sometimes leads to poor performance because I lack enough time to concentrate. My parents are very poor and did not even try going to school. They do not know the value of education so they tell me to get married whenever I completely lack school fees. Me I have no feeling to get married so I do not listen to their words.

Mu best dream is to become a nun who is a nurse. This will enable me to help the suffering. I will be very grateful if I get a mentor and a sponsor.

Awor Josephine, 18.

I would like to take my studies to a higher level but because of financial limitation due to having very poor parents who also did not go to school and do not know the value of education, I may not go far. If you help me I will work hard and become a teacher, this will help me teach the community to value the girl child education.

Apio Everline, 18.

My parents died when I was young, in primary school. I live with my sister. I started digging people’s gardens in order to make money that can support my education. I also cut trees, dry them into firewood and I sell them. In periods when I cannot raise enough money I have always asked my sister to support me, she always tell me to get married like her and stop wasting time with education. Please help me in my education, I do not want to get married when I am very young like my sister. I would like to become a doctor so that I can treat the sick people in my village.

Akumu Dorothy, 19.

I pay my own school fees when collecting firewood from the forest then I sell. Sometimes I sell on credit so I collect money when I am chased away from school. My parents never went to school so they want me to get married yet I want to continue with education. In addition they don’t even provide me with scholastic materials. My school is very far from home. I always reach home at night from school. Most times I find men on the road who want me to become their wife but I disagree with them. I have to make sure I walk with somebody who can help me like a brother. If you help me, I will work hard. I want to become a lawyer so that I make sure I support poor girls.

Athieno Rose Mary, 18.

My mother died. I am staying with my step mother and my father. My mother left us 5children and I am the eldest of all. My father does not support my education. During holidays, I go to dig people’s gardens in order to get money for meeting my school needs. I do not have free time to revise my books while at home. When I can back from school I have to do all the domestic work besides I walk 6 miles to and from school every day. My father does not bother about us even if I tell him our challenges. I am almost like the mother in the home. If you support my education and mentorship, I will work very hard and will not disappoint you. I feel that it Is only through education that I will be able to wipe away my tears. I would like to become an engineer.

Achola Anna, 16.

My parents are not able to pay my school fees, sometimes when I ask them, they tell me to go and get married and stop stressing them. They don’t know the value of girl child education. My parents say that girl child education is useless. I would like my dream to come true about becoming a business woman who deals in construction. I want to construct a big industry in my home town and to help girl child education in order to make parents who do not want to educate their daughters know that educating a girl is the best struggle.

Agola Mary Constance, 16.

I have interest in continuing with my education but I am afraid because I am not sure my parents will be in position to help me. My parents are not educated and they do not value education. If it is not for free primary education, I do not think I would have completed my primary education when it was my parents helping me. I request for your support.

Akumu Patricia, 14.

My life today, I live with my parents but they are very poor and they do not value girl child education. The money they get from planting crops they say that they cannot waste it in educating a girl child and that is me who is elder. They educate my brothers and not me, they want me to get married. Sometimes they bring men at home and they tell me to go with him but foe me since I love studies so much, I do not want to get married. I want to become a doctor not only to treat the sick but also to help the girl child education as you have helped me. I promise to be a good girl.

Akello Mary, 17.

I study in a day school, walk long distance everyday. My mother and I cut firewood and sell them in order to pay my school fees. On the way to school, I meet big men who are forcing me to love and to marry them. I also work in people's gardens and homes in order to raise my school fees. My problem is that my father does not value education and he has no parental love for girls, they just want me to get married. I would like to be an accountant in the bank, if you choose to mentor me, I will work so hard and change my life and the people around me.

Awori Mary, 18

I live with both of my parents. They never went to school so they do not want me also to reach high level with my education. Sometimes they send me to get married but I always ignore them because I value education so much as the only key to success. I provide myself with school fees by digging for neighbors. I also cut trees and sell them as firewood to people. It is in this way that I buy my clothings.

My school is very far from home, sometimes I miss lessons. Several times I have missed examinations because I could not pay school fees in time. I want to become a police woman in future in order to discipline wrong doers and also help other girls study. If I get a mentor and a sponsor, I will work very hard.

Aketch Mary Gorret, 17.

I am in vacation; I am currently growing vegetables, keeping goats and pigs with the help of my mother who is a widow. When my father died, my mother was chased away from our home by our uncles because she had no son to take our land, only me as a daughter. We are struggling to live alone with my mother, we both go and dig people’s gardens in order to make money for a living. In future I would like to become a doctor not only to treat the sick but also to educate other girls who will be suffering like I was. If anyone chooses to mentor and educate me, my mother and I will be very glad.

Auma Constance, 20.

These personal experiences are why I feel so strongly about the value of mentorship for promising Ugandan girls. I have seen first-hand what a difference having a mentor can make, and want to make this opportunity available to others.

Please view the attached documents for the details about each child, why and how to mentor them.