A Doctor to Be

Since he was 7 years old, now 20-year-old Pardon Sinkala of Zambia has been at the head of his class.

Pardon is a cool and gentle looking young man of the Kafue District who dreams one day of becoming a medical doctor.

Pardon, who has two younger sisters and a younger brother, remembers entering a ChildFund International sponsorship program 14 years ago.

“The program paid for all my school fees and other requirements like school shoes, uniforms, books, mosquito nets, just to mention a few,” he recalls.

From the beginning, Pardon became known for his hard work in class. Throughout each grade level, Pardon always scored the highest among his peers in test scores.

It hasn’t always been easy for Pardon. In 2007, his father was diagnosed with tuberculosis, forcing him to relocate to Tanzania to live with his sister while Pardon lives with his unemployed mother. Pardon is confident a degree will help him support his family. 

Pardon has been accepted to the University of Zambia for a Bachelor of Science degree in the School of Natural Sciences.

“My plans are to become a medical doctor,” he says. “I want to do medicine and later specialize in pathology or neurosurgery.”