Mervis

Mervis had to look up and down for work, to support her and her son when no one else could help.

“I was born in 1997. My parents died when I was just six months old. I grew up and started school in eastern province. In grade nine, I got pregnant and dropped out. The man who got me pregnant denied he had been responsible.

After I had stayed out of school for three years, my family members refused to support me in completing my education. I had no option other than to look for a job, in order to sustain my life and that of my son. Even though it was not an easy journey, I managed to survive.

I moved from one place to another, looking for jobs. As I was searching, I came across some people who told me about the DREAMS project. I got interested, and in July 2017, I joined the program. I started with Family Literacy, with a group of other young mothers. Over three months, I learned how to read and write. Then I moved to the mentoring program.

Thanks to her hard work studying and learning how to read and write in English, Mervis won a competitive scholarship to go back to school.

Last November, I applied for the scholarship program. The competition was stiff, but fortunately I was among the 25 girls who were selected to go back to school. As I am speaking now, I am in school and doing very well in my academic activities. I want to complete my studies and pursue a career in nursing.”

*This story was published in DREAMS Innovation Challenge: Silence Speaks- Youth Stories