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For Some, Their Path to Success Runs Outside the Classroom
On the edge of a small town in the heart of Uganda, a young woman now works confidently as a hairstylist and cosmetologist. Her hands are steady, her face calm, her spirit strong. But her journey here was anything but easy.
She was born into a family that survived the streets—working them in every way imaginable. From the beginning, the odds were stacked impossibly high against her. There was no steady income, no encouragement toward education, no belief in anything beyond the struggle. Hers was a world where dreams were luxuries, and survival meant sacrifice.
When Hope Alive! first enrolled her into school through the generosity of a sponsor, she was given a chance she had never imagined. But school brought its own kind of pain. Each year, she struggled to keep up. Her grades were low, her confidence lower still. Teachers recommended she repeat, again and again. She began to believe what the world had already whispered to her: You’re not enough. You can’t make it.
At one point, she was ready to give up completely—on school, on herself, on any hope for a different life. Tears streamed down her face as she told the Hope Alive! staff, “Maybe I’m just meant for the streets. Maybe that’s the only life for me.” It wasn’t just discouragement; it was despair.
But the Hope Alive! team saw what she couldn’t yet see. They prayed with her, counseled her, and then pleaded with her school to let her continue—despite her performance. Miraculously, the school agreed.
Grade by grade, something began to change. As she advanced, so did her courage. Each year she was promoted became a declaration: You are not your past. You are not your family’s story. You are not the sum of your scores.
To no one’s surprise, she didn’t pass the Primary Leaving Exam (a mandatory step in order to attend Secondary School). But by then, she had already gained something far more important: dignity, confidence, and hope.
With the encouragement of her mentor and the Hope Alive! staff, she enrolled in a vocational course focussed on cosmetology—tapping into her creativity and discovering a skill she loved. She worked hard, began to master her craft, and is slowly but surely building a life for herself that is different from all that she once knew.
Today, she is thriving. Her work not only brings her joy and an income—it supports her family and affirms the truth she now lives every day: She is strong, capable, and full of purpose.
What once seemed like a dead-end life has become a story of redemption. Her journey reminds us that while not every child’s path will look the same, every child deserves a chance to rise. And with love, belief, and opportunity, they will.
Fragile Families Flourishing in the Hope of Jesus!
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