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Stephen’s Story

Open Hearts and Minds transformed Stephen’s life, and we couldn’t be more proud of the young man that he has become.

When both of Stephen’s parents died, he and his younger sister, Wendy, went to live with their grandma.  He started attending a government primary school and Wendy joined OHAM in 2010.  We met Stephen in 2012 when he was 9 and his life had taken a turn for the worse.  He had been excluded from school as his attendance was poor and behaviour disruptive. From the age of 6, Stephen had been going to Lake Victoria to fish in order to make some money to buy food for his grandmother and Wendy. The Lake Victoria fishing community was no place for a 6-year-old to be on his own… it was heartbreaking to hear that Stephen had to do this.

 

We talked with Stephen, and he told us he wanted to join Open Hearts and Minds School. Edward believed that his previous issues at school were due to his difficult family circumstances and the lack of any real pastoral care in the larger classes there.  At that time Open Hearts and Minds had never taken two children from the same family as we were trying to help as many families as possible in the community.  However, we felt in these circumstances we needed to make an exception – if we didn’t help Stephen, who would?  We decided to accept him into Open Hearts and Minds School and give him a second chance.

 

Stephen started at OHAM school in January 2013.  Because he had not been in school for a few years he was placed in the grade below Wendy, even though he was 2 years older.  It wasn’t easy for Stephen to be with much younger class-mates but he was so happy to be at Open Hearts and Minds and he rose to the challenge.  Since then, not only has Stephen worked so hard in his studies, but he has also been a model of good behaviour. His Grade 8  exam results placed him in the top five students out of over 400 in our school district!  He was also selected to give a speech to the whole school and the parents at our Celebration Day for his last two years. 

Stephen has now started secondary school and is looking forward to a much brighter future.

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Grace has really shone during her time at Open Hearts and Minds School, and we’re so glad that she has had this opportunity.

Grace came to Open Hearts and Minds in sad circumstances.  In late 2011, the Chief of the village visited Edward with a request to help a young family in hardship – Grace’s father had tragically died in a motorcycle accident.  Her mother was young and was left to look after Grace, her three sisters and brother on her own.  Open Hearts and Minds was happy to welcome Grace to the school so she would get her education and a hot meal every day. 

Grace joined us in 2012 at the age of 6 in our youngest class and has been making the long walk from her home to school ever since. She has studied very hard for all of her subjects; her recent Grade 7 exam results have placed her in the top 3 girls for our district out of 600 students! Not only is Grace very studious, but she is also a great singer and dancer at our annual Celebration day for the whole school and the parents! 

Be a part of making a child’s dream of an education come true today and sponsor a child.

Read more of our children’s stories.

We’re so happy that Kevin was able to overcome his challenges with the help of Open Hearts and Minds.

Kevin joined our first class at Open Hearts and Minds in 2010 at the age of 5.  His family circumstances are very difficult as his father is almost blind, and his mother suffers from a chronic illness. Kevin had started briefly at a government school but was not doing very well.  It turned out that he had hearing problems which would explain why he had difficulty understanding the lessons.

OHAM took him to the doctor and although there wasn’t much that could be done medically, our teachers gave him the support he needed. He sat at the front of the class, and the teachers always faced him if asking a question and ensured he understood and was following the lesson. We are so glad that OHAM can offer this level of individual attention due to the small class sizes. 

Kevin’s academic improvement was remarkable, and he graduated from our school in 2018 and started secondary school – something that he could never have imagined.  As Kevin’s family continues to struggle due to the health issues of the parents, Open Hearts and Minds School has decided to enrol Kevin’s younger brother, Victor, to provide ongoing support for the family.

Be a part of making a child’s dream of education come true today and sponsor a child.

Read more of our children’s stories.

 

Stephen’s Story

Stephen’s Story

Open Hearts and Minds transformed Stephen’s life, and we couldn’t be more proud of the young man that he has become. When both of Stephen’s parents died, he and his younger sister, Wendy,...

Grace’s Story

Grace’s Story

Grace has really shone during her time at Open Hearts and Minds School, and we’re so glad that she has had this opportunity. Grace came to Open Hearts and Minds in sad circumstances. ...

Kevin’s Story

Kevin’s Story

We’re so happy that Kevin was able to overcome his challenges with the help of Open Hearts and Minds. Kevin joined our first class at Open Hearts and Minds in 2010 at the...

Open Hearts and Minds


26 Grantwood Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, UK, LE13 1SB




www.ohamf.org




OHAM is registered as a non-government organisation in Kenya: No. OP.218/051/2009/092/5676.

OHAM is a 501(c)(3) public charity in the USA. Donations and contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

OHAM is recognised as a charity in the UK by HMRC for tax purposes. This means you can Gift-Aid your donations.