Beryl’s parents died when she was about 3, c. 2011. They were extremely poor but had some income from her mother selling raw sugar and her father as a motorcycle taxi driver (“boda boda”). After their death, a friend of her mother took her in. Beryl told us, “My guardian works as a maid. We only have a small garden next to our hut where we grow our vegetables. If my guardian gets sick, she goes to a neighbor for herbal medicine because she does not have money for medicine. The little money she can get working as a maid she uses to buy food but sometimes we go to bed without eating.” Beryl has 4 siblings (likely children of the guardian)
She had not been in school because her guardian couldn’t afford the school fees but heard about Achungo and started in the preschool. She told us: “When I first came to Achungo I truly liked the school because all the teachers are so loving and caring for the pupils and the food is good and they serve enough for all of the students. In short all of the students are treated equally. The best thing about Achungo is being able to know things about life so as to be successful in life.”
In her spare time, Beryl likes studying, playing soccer, cooking and helping her guardian with the housework.
She told us, “I want to be a news anchor because I want to travel all over the world. I haven’t been able to travel because I don’t have anyone to go to.”