Father died, mother is jobless not able to sustain their basic needs.

Joana was born in Inhambane province, where she lived with her parents. She is a very quiet girl and helpful. After fulfilling her homework and household duties, she plays with her friends. She is orphaned of parents. Her mother died in 2003 when the girl was 2 months old, due to illness, and her father died in 2013, victim of illness as well. He used to be a mechanic. After her father’s death, she moved to live with her aunt that works as a clerk at a butcher. What she earns is not enough to sustain the whole family and pay the girl’s school expenses.

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.

The family cannot satisfy basic need since they are poor and no source of income

My parents separated a long time ago and I have not seen either of them for two years now. I live with my grandparents and with my brother and sister. My grandfather owns one donkey and one cow, so we do not have very much money. My grandfather is also sick so my grandmother has a temporary job and this is where we get all of our money. Sometimes we have a hard time getting by on just that money. I finished primary school and I knew that I liked mathematics and history the best. I also like playing sports like netball.

I have been staying with my mother after she got divorced with my father. This forces my mother to take care us without any support from my father. My mother being the only bread winner, works as a housekeeper everyday. She fights hard to put food on the table, which sometimes is not easy to manage feeding the five of us. My mother always prays for us everyday so that we receive blessings. I got lucky after applying for the scholarship program for less fortunate children in Kibera. My hope is to become a neuro-surgeon and in the future I will help my mother and other children come out of poverty.

Ndajiri is a bright and driven young woman who dreams of reaching her goals. She loves to study math and play netball. Ndajiri is determined to be successful in her education so she can one day become the Headmaster of Orkeeswa. She lives with her mother, father, grandmother and five younger siblings. Ndajiri’s grandmother is the biggest advocate for her education and deeply supports her pursuit. Her mother and father are unable to provide for Ndajiri’s school fees.

Faith's parents are too poor to afford her education. She has three brothers and one grandmother. She loves playing football (soccer).

Nthenya is the firstborn child in a family of four. Her parents rely on odd jobs to cater for the family needs. ÊDespite many challenges, Nthenya emerged victorious in her exams. She aspires to be a doctor in future to treat the less privileged in the society especially children. She believes that one rises by uplifting others.

Aida was born in Nampula province. She is a very quiet girl, friendly, intelligent and likes to play with her friends of the same age in the neighborhood she lives. When the girl was 2 years old, her parents separated for social reasons. The father died in 2011, victim of disease. Even separated, the father helped to support his daughter while living with her mother in Nampula. After her father's death, the family moved to Beira and began to face many difficulties; even the mother having gotten a job as a cleaner, her earnings are not enough to pay the school expenses. As Aida is a very good student and hardworking, she deserves help for her dreams to become true.

Nzioka is the lastborn child in a family of six. His parents are aged and only depend on subsistence farming to bring up their family. Although Nzioka faced a myriad of challenges in school, including being send home for school levies, he emerged the best student in his school. He aspires to be a doctor in future in order to help the less fortunate students in the society who suffer from various ailments so that they can study comfortably. Nzioka believes that working hard and believing in God makes everything possible.

There are 8 people in Johnny's household: his mother and father, five brothers and sisters, and himself. Johnny calls himself number four - he has three older and two younger siblings. They all live in a large village in the mountains in a house with three small rooms and a patio. His father, mother and older brothers earn a living locally in agriculture, but the work is seasonal and insecure. Johnny has been doing well at school. He's particularly keen on maths but likes anything technical. His dream is to be able to qualify as an electrical engineer. When he's not at school or helping at home, he likes to play the guitar.

Among the youngest in her class, Elizabeth is a motivated, confident young woman. The first in her family to attend secondary school, Elizabeth is already bringing her education to her family, as she regularly tutors her younger sister at home, in addition to helping with her regular daily chores. Curious and witty, Elizabeth loves participating in hands-on science projects and performing in the school’s choir, dance and drama groups. Elizabeth’s parents are young and very supportive of Elizabeth’s education, but lack the means to support her with school fees and other basic expenses.

Alexander is the second born child in a family of five. His mother is ailing from a kidney disease that has taken a toll on their meager resources. His father decorates woodcarvings and earns less than a dollar per day. While in primary school, Alex had to maintain a balance between doing family chores like cooking, collecting firewood and fetching water while devoting some time for studies. He was constantly sent home from school because he had not paid the fees and often lacked many essential books. Despite these challenges, Alex was able to score very well in his primary level exam. He is a disciplined and determined boy who hopes to succeed and help the less privileged in the society.