Apiyo Mercy's Story: A New Beginning and A Dream to Serve

My name is Apiyo Mercy, and I am 18 years old, currently in Senior 2 (Year 8) at Kworo High School. I am the third child in a family of eight. Growing up, my life was good because I was raised by both of my parents, who are peasant farmers. They were able to meet most of our basic needs, including food and education, as our primary school charged only 3,000 Ugandan shillings (just over A$1) per term for fees.

However, everything changed when I entered secondary school. The fees increased to 250,000 Ugandan shillings (A$91 per term), an amount my parents could not afford. As a result, I was forced to drop out of school after Senior 1 (Year 7). During the time I stayed home, I became pregnant, as I had lost all hope of returning to school. This period of my life led to two years of being at home, focused on pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

One day, a friend from my primary school came to visit and encouraged me to return to school, as my child was now weaned. I shared this with my parents, but they were initially hesitant because there was no money. Then, my mother heard about Kworo High School from a friend and decided to apply for a vacancy there.

To our delight, she returned with the good news of my admission to Kworo High, along with an offer for a partial scholarship covering half of the school fees. This was a huge relief for my family, and I was excited to go back to school. My hope for continuing my studies was restored, and my parents promised to do whatever they could to pay the remaining half of the fees.

Now that I am back in school, I am determined to work hard and achieve good grades so that I can join a nursing course. I hope to become self-reliant and, in the future, support others in need.

To the donors supporting my education, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. Your kindness is something that can only be rewarded by God, not by humans. There are many others like me who are in need of this support, and I pray that God continues to bless you and provide the resources you need to keep offering this life-changing help.