Help Educate 40 Bright Girls in Lesotho

In the last report we shared with you the great news of Joalane’s success story. She has now started her work as a junior doctor in Lesotho and has reconnected with a couple of her former high school classmates. One of Joalane’s former classmates from Thetsane High school, Teboho was also supported through high school by you in partnership with Educare Fund. Like Joalane, her hard work paid off and she is now also a medical doctor. She recently sent a letter of thanks to Educare Fund, giving an update of her progress. As you all know, Educare Fund would not achieve very much without your very kind help, so Teboho’s success is definitely your success too. She tells her story here:

I would like to pass my heartfelt gratitude to Educare Fund for coming into my life at the time when I most needed help with my educational costs. I am the second born in the family and have 5 siblings (one sister is now late) all raised by my mother who is unemployed. After my father died, it fell to her to find ways to feed and clothe us all as well as pay for our school fees. It wasn’t easy and we hardly had any food to eat, so finding money for school fees was an added challenge for her.

My father died in 2004 and no clear cause of death was identified. That’s the year I decided I would like to become a doctor so that I can save lives. I felt my school results were good, but hope was down. I was just about to start high school level education which is more expensive for both fees and books. Fortunately I was the best student at my school and the principal helped me to apply for help from Educare Fund. I couldn’t believe my luck when I was offered the sponsorship. Without this help I would not have been able to go further than secondary level education, let alone become a doctor.

Teboho realised her dream of becoming a doctor, graduating in 2013. This powerful young woman has not only improved her own life but has also been able to support her family and help her siblings to aim high and improve their own lives too. She says:

I started helping my five siblings with their education while I was at university. I’m still supporting them all now as well as my mother and my one child. One brother went on to gain a certificate in Hospitality and Catering while a sister has just completed a Diploma in HR. The younger three are currently at the National University of Lesotho. One sister is doing Economics, a brother is doing a BSc in Education (Maths and Physics) and the youngest is reading Literature.

That’s an impressive level of achievement for one so young. She has definitely exceeded our expectations and probably her own. We are grateful to all of you for having played a part in Teboho’s amazing success.

Educare Fund’s aim continues to be to work with you to reach more and more girls like Joalane, Teboho and others, helping them to realise their potential and achieve their dreams.

In a week’s time Educare Fund will be taking part in a week long matching fund campaign with GlobalGiving UK. We are asking for your support with this campaign so that we can together support more of these brilliant young people to change their own lives. In the next few days I will give details of how the ‘Little by little by little’ campaign will work. We are counting on you, as always.

Let me finish by thanking you again for continuing to support the young women. Let’s hope that their futures will be much brighter. As Teboho says, you are really doing a good job. And long may you continue!

Yours Sincerely

Liphethiso Monica Harris