Josephine lives in the countryside with her father, two older brothers and seven younger sisters. Her father has lung cancer and is jobless, so the family often goes without food all day. She has been at Achungo for five years and it has made all the difference for her. Before that, she attended a public school near their home but she says life was very difficult. There was no food at school and often no food at home, so “you simply drink water and go back to school. Here in Achungo we have lunch and a well-balanced diet. That helped me to continue with my education.”
With her friend, Sarah, Josephine likes studying and reading together. “We do not waste a lot of time playing because we know that time wasted will never be recovered. We spend much of our time reading our notes from social studies and science and reviewing the books we have borrowed from our fellow pupils.”
When she is home, she works in the family garden (“shamba”), “so that the family can get enough food even during famine.” She also searches for firewood to sell, “so that we may get basic needs like flour, soap, and salt.”
She told us that she wants to become a judge to help children whose “rights are abused and adults to find their rights and freedom. I will also help orphans and those who are poor to go on with their studies. I know that the Lord will help me to achieve my goals. I am going through many challenges that a girl of my age would not wish to go through in life.”