The truth is – there is nothing ordinary about you. You are the daughter of the King and your story is significant!
My name is Queen. I am 19 years old and the firstborn in a family of 7. I live in a police camp in Kitwe now but go to Kalulushi for school. This is because I have no one to help me relocate to Kalulushi, where I found a place in a school.
It so happened that when I sat for my grade seven examination, my parents divorced and I was left in a dilemma as to where I will find sponsorship for my school fees.
I set out for Kitwe and the first to receive me was my aunt who is a widow. She lost her husband 12 years ago and has been staying alone for quite a long time since then. After staying with her for 7 months, she called me one day and asked me to contribute resources towards the running of the home. I was 15 then and I asked her how that would be possible at my age and with school. She told me to “do what your friends do at night and make sure you learn to fend for yourself!”
I could not believe I was hearing this from an adult who is supposed to protect me. So I ran away and found solace at a church member’s home in the police camp.
When all of this was happening, I explained it to the church elders who advised me to leave her alone and find somewhere else to live. They tried asking members of my congregation and one offered to take me in as a live-in maid. I was receiving a small wage to enable me to buy body lotion and a few clothes.
One day, in 2019, I visited Kalulushi and that was the beginning of better things for me! I was told there was an organisation in Chibote by the name of Orphans’ Promise that was helping children. After explaining my ordeal to Mr Mathias, who is the headmaster at the school, he told me to wait until he visited my new family in Kitwe to discuss modalities and the possibility of assistance. He asked me to rewrite grade seven at Chibote school and he volunteered to keep me under review during that period.
My results came out and I qualified to grade 8! I was put into the Orphan’s Promise support programme. I received support for two years from 2020 to 2021. I graduated to Grade 10 and today my life has changed completely as I can get free education.
Had it not been for Orphan’s Promise, my life would be very different as I would have had to continue working as a maid with no education, or worse still, as a sex worker. I want to encourage other girls out there to never lose hope as the Lord God is an all-seeing God and will bring salvation and help to those who trust in Him.
May God bless Miss Leonie and all the sponsors out there.
Written by Queen
