My name is Terry. I am 13 years old and an 8th grader at [REDACTED] School. When I grow up, I want to be an engineer and get a well-paying job.
My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer a couple of years ago. Before she got ill, she used to work as a washer, hand washing people’s clothes. She stopped working when her health got worse, and we had no income. We lived in poverty. The only time we got to eat was when people came to visit with food. My mother worried day and night about not having food on the table and for not being able to pay my school fees. Recently her health has gotten worse, and on top of that she makes herself sick with worry about the fact that she has nobody to help her raise us.
My mother always prays to God to help us through all of this, and finally her prayers were answered when International Samaritan came to our rescue. They gave me a scholarship which covers my school fees, my food, clean uniforms and all the school supplies I need. I even have a mentor to help me with my studies and was enrolled in a life-skill training program. My mother is still sick, but she is no longer making herself worse with worry, and we no longer are starving.
I am committed to my education and to becoming an Engineer. Thanks to your continued generosity, my journey will be easier. I thank you very much for all your help and guidance.
Pressing On
“A lot of our Samaritan Scholars have had to grow up too quickly,” said our Program Director in Jamaica, Sonja Robinson. “They haven’t had the opportunity to just be children without responsibilities.” These students are growing up in Riverton, in an area known for...
Two Secret Pathways to Prosperity
How do we break the chains of poverty? This is the last in a three-part series on how we achieve our mission. The primary lever we use, thanks to your support, is a holistic scholarship, costing $3,000 per year for almost 1,000 students this year—or a $12,000...
Poverty to Prosperity
We received two responses last week to our invitation to share your story about the personal characteristics needed to help people break out of poverty. I enjoyed their responses so much that I thought I would share them with you.Dr. Richard Buchta Grew up in upstate...