Juliet was living in a nearby village with her grandmother when she heard about Achungo from a neighbor and enrolled four years ago. She says she never knew my parents, not even if they are dead or alive. She has a brother and a sister who are living with other neighbors. Her grandmother has diabetes and throat cancer and cannot work, so neighbors often bring them food.
The public school she attended previously was in poor shape and she says students had to sit on the floor in class. She was immediately impressed with Achungo and that every student had a desk with a seat and locking bin for books. She told us, “When I first came to Achungo I knew that my life would change completely. The difference is that when I was studying at the other school we would often go without food. After finishing my education at Achungo, my greatest ambition is that I would like to be a doctor. Because I am an intelligent, hardworking girl, I would like to prosper in life and help all those with diabetes and cancer so that they can live a happy life. And I would also like to help the orphaned children like us”
On breaks she helps her grandmother with the house chores. Sometimes they have vegetables or eggs to sell so they can buy food. She is quite worried about her grandmother and told us, “My grandmother’s life is worsening every day, when I see her crying in pain, I feel pity for her. Her life is worsening day by day and if God would depart her soul from us, we would not have any other place to live.”