Father died. Mother is jobless and cannot sustain fees and basic needs for the family.

Family lives in poverty, many children. Cannot afford basic needs.

Mueni is an outgoing girl who completed her primary education in 2017 and since her parents were unable to pay for her school fees she decided to repeat grade eight. Despite staying home for most of the time in the year due to small school levies, her dream to become a surgeon has kept her focused. Her parents are poor and only do casual jobs to cater for the family basic needs. Their house collapsed last year due to rains and they are now living in a makeshift house. ÊMueni believes that hard work never goes unrewarded.

Nancy is a 16 year old girl who hopes to become a doctor. She got a fistula very young and has had several surgeries over the years. The fistula and her family’s poverty have made it difficult for her to be in school continuously, but despite this Nancy performed very well on her year end exam after form 1 last year. She will be entering form 2 but her family does not have the money to pay her fees - Nancy admits that paying for school is so difficult she has considered suicide in the past. She is one of six siblings and lives with her parents, who do not have a source of income.

Nivea is fifteen years old from Uganda. Both her parents have low income. She comes from a family of nine children whereby she's the first born.She has both grandparents living. She got fistula when she was fourteen years old and stayed with it for one year before getting treatment. She's dry now. She is willing to learn, and she will like to become a nurse when she grows up. She likes playing football.

Zeyna is the firstborn child in a family of three. Her parents are unemployed and depend on subsistence farming, which has adversely been affected by frequent droughts. Zeyna is a brilliant young girl who is determined to achieve her goals despite the many challenges she has been going through. Her dream to become a journalist has been her driving force. She has been concerned about many cases happening in the rural areas with no one to report to the world. For her education is an eye opener.

Lilian is the last-born child in a family of six. Her father was involved in a motorbike accident and has been unable to support the family. Most of the elder siblings dropped out of school and are unemployed. Lilian is so determined to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Her good performance in her exams did not come on a silver platter. She had to wake up early in the morning to go to school to utilize electricity at school. At other times, she studied under the moonlight, as there was no source of light at home. She believes that without struggle there is no progress.

has both parents, was raped by a family member 2 yrs ago leading to internal damage/fistula. She is not safe at home and is being raised by the women in the Beyond Fistula program as her mother doesn't feel she can be kept safe at home.

Her parents are poor and separated. Brenda lives with her grandmother, but her brother and sisters live elsewhere with their grandfather. She hopes to become a teacher someday.