John still manage to smile! Photo enlargeable on click.
Jean Damascene Hagenimana, a 14 year old boy and the 6th of the family's 7 children, comes across as a child who is sailing against the storms of extreme poverty.

His parents work in other people’s fields and keep 2 goats for their neighbors in order to earn a living.

At the beginning of the last school year, his father asked him to drop out of school to help him in field work because he thought he could not afford his secondary school fees.

Luckily for John, the headteacher pleaded with his father to let him at least complete primary school.

Surprisingly, he ranked first on the National Test mark chart, and achieved the school highest mark, 47%, for 2007 Mihabura cohort.

This is John's family home-Photo enlargeable on click.
Damascene’s success was at the same time a challenge to his family. The father tried to plead with the local leaders to support them but in vain. So, John’s chances of reporting to secondary school were slim.

Since Damascene was a brilliant but very poor pupil, his teachers organized some sort of fundraising for him. Small amounts of money and some notebooks were collected. The family also borrowed some money and so Damascene reported very late at his boarding secondary school.

Our Volunteer visited Jean Damascene at school to encourage him. Like other sponsored children, he will be seen by our Rwandan Team every school holiday for further support.

Due to the delay in reporting at school and illness just before the exam, his first term results have not been great.

We pray and wish him every blessing. Every blessing too to the loving people who are sponsoring him.

NB: The above is part of the complete profile held by his sponsors.

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