Paul Mudhasi, a former sponsored child in Uganda, now teaches in the primary school he attended as a child.
Paul Mudhasi remembers how other kids would make fun of him and his brothers when they were growing up in Kamuli, Uganda, “because we had a few torn clothes, which we shared.”
Paul’s parents supported him and his three brothers with subsistence farming, but there was rarely enough money to cover the basics. Paul dropped out of school in fourth grade because his parents could no longer afford to pay his school fees.
But the family’s circumstances took a turn for the better in 1985, when ChildFund began to enroll children in his village.
Paul’s parents were trained in modern farming techniques and received seeds to grow coffee, oranges, beans and maize, which ensured that his family had enough food at home. His mother sold the excess crops at the local market, and the family used the money she earned to take care of all their other needs.
With less financial stress on his family, Paul was able to return to school. “I remember being mostly excited about going back to school,” he says. “I had received books, pens and a school uniform, and nothing was going to stop me.”
He also gained a sponsor, who gave him invaluable emotional support.
“My sponsor used to inspire me through the letters he sent,” Paul says. “I used to wait so eagerly for his response whenever I wrote to him. He always reminded me to work hard at school.”
Indeed, Paul worked very hard to continue his studies, and because his family was on firmer ground financially, Paul received his degree in primary education from Kyambogo University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. Today he’s a teacher at his former primary school, where he encourages other young people to pursue their dreams.
