Personal Stories

Joy, Uganda

Despite her name, ten year old Joy wasn’t a happy child.  How could she be when she lived in grinding poverty, with no chance to escape the hardship she faced?

Every morning, she’d watch her friends head off to school, full of hope.  Joy had a real desire to join them and to learn – but her parents simply couldn’t afford to send her to school.

While she should have been sat in the classroom, she spent her days on her hands and knees trying to find vegetables to help feed her family.

Her dad was on a desperate mission to find work, earn money and support his wife and children.  But Joy would see the exhaustion on his face and the sadness in his eyes each night when he returned home empty handed, knowing his kids would have to go another night without food.

Thankfully though, a special Comic Relief funded project was there to give Joy’s family a helping hand.

Her father received a small loan to start growing tomatoes and onions which he could sell to make a profit.  It was just the chance he needed to begin to support his family and he grabbed it with both hands.

Before long his business began to thrive, he paid back the loan and could even afford to send his daughter to school.

Joy is now learning to read and write and her life has changed beyond recognition.  By going to school, she can get the skills and knowledge she needs to create a far brighter future.