When we first met Gloria, she was 6 years old and had dropped out of the first grade because her family couldn’t afford school fees. Today, thanks to her Holt sponsors, she is 19 and on track to achieve her big dreams!
Working on the communications team at Holt, we are fortunate to travel and directly interact with many of the children who sponsors and donors support through their generous donations. Sometimes in our travels, we meet a child who leaves such an impression on us that we want to check back in and see how they’ve grown, what they’re up to, and what they’re doing with their life.
Gloria is one of those children.
Ten years ago, I met Gloria while traveling in Uganda to capture the stories of children and families in Holt’s child sponsorship program. I vividly remember Gloria standing in front of her red brick house in a rural village outside of Kampala. She was wearing a thin cotton black dress, her hair cropped short, a mischievous smile on her face. At the time, she was 9 years old. She lived with her mother, two younger sisters and her twin sister, Angella.
Gloria’s family had received goats as a Gift of Hope from a Holt donor, providing them with milk and regular income. The Holt photographer I traveled with asked Gloria and her sisters if one of them would hold one of their baby goats. Up to the task, Gloria eagerly caught up with one of the little goats running around the yard. He seemed so calm in her arms as she held him, smiling proudly.
That year, we featured Gloria and her goat on the cover of Holt’s Gifts of Hope catalog.
Holt sponsors and donors first started supporting Gloria and her family when she was 6 years old. Years before, the girls’ father had abandoned his family in a rented room in Kampala — leaving his wife alone to care for her four young children, including a newborn. Her mom was struggling to support Gloria and her three sisters on very little income. They could barely afford enough food, let alone the cost of tuition, books and uniforms required to attend school. Life was so hard for them that Gloria had to drop out of school — in the first grade.
Thankfully, a sponsor soon stepped up to support Gloria, covering the cost of books, uniforms and fees and making it possible for Gloria to re-enroll in school.
Gloria was so happy to return to school. But she and her family benefited from sponsorship in many more ways than one. Holt’s child sponsorship program is a holistic support model that ensures a child has everything they need to thrive — from food, clothing and school supplies to regular counseling and advocacy from a local social worker. Sponsors fund economic empowerment programs for parents to learn job skills or start a small business that will provide regular income for their family. They help provide medical care, parenting education, daycare for young children, and address any other unmet needs that are keeping their sponsored child from thriving. When a child has a sponsor, it’s like they have a guardian angel protecting and caring for them from afar.
When our team in Uganda first learned about Gloria, her family only had one mattress to share between the five of them. But thanks to Gloria’s sponsor, the family received another mattress and more blankets so they could sleep more comfortably. They received seeds to plant cassava, beans and maize, and their social worker ensured they consistently ate nourishing meals. Gloria’s mom, Gorret, also joined a Holt-supported community group to help build her farming and business skills so she could grow her family’s income.
When we visited in 2016, three years into Gloria’s sponsorship journey, Gorret told us, “It used to be my prayer that my children would get sponsors. So when I learned that there were people out there sending money to support my children so they could remain in school, all I could do was kneel and pray a blessing for them so that they would receive very long lives.”
Gloria loved school, but she was shy and struggled at first. Thankfully, through sponsorship, our team in Uganda says she received vital mentorship that inspired her to recognize and pursue her full potential.
With steady support, her grades improved. And recently, when we asked for an update on her, we learned that she was one of the top students in her class! Gloria is now 19 years old. In photos, she has the same proud smile that once graced the cover of our Gifts of Hope catalog. She wears her hair the same — short and cropped — and has grown quite tall!
“Today, Gloria reflects happily on the love and support from her sponsor and how Holt has restored her hope for the future,” our team in Uganda shares. “She says she is evidence of God’s goodness. She often encourages other children to trust in God and dream big.”
When we met Gloria, children in Uganda were only enrolled in child sponsorship through primary school. But the following year, in 2017, Holt Uganda began a secondary school program in Gloria’s community — providing a path for children to continue their education instead of marrying at age 16 or moving to the city in search of daily wage work.
Last year, Gloria became one of the first Holt sponsored children to graduate from secondary school. She excelled on her national exams, especially in math and science, and will soon transition to advanced secondary school.
“This is a huge achievement, as many students do not qualify for advanced secondary,” explains Malia Robello, Holt’s senior program manager for Uganda. “After completing advanced secondary, she would be eligible to attend college or university.”
Like many once-sponsored children, Gloria sees how others have helped her overcome the difficulties she’s faced in her life — and she wants to do the same for the people of her community.
Gloria initially wanted to become a social worker. But recently, with her excellent math and science skills, she has developed a strong interest in pursuing a career in plumbing.
“Her goal is to ensure that people can access clean water,” our team in Uganda shares.
This young woman who once dropped out of first grade is now on track to be one of the first students in her community to attend college.
It has been such a privilege to follow her journey over the past ten years — a journey made possible by the kindness and generosity of sponsors.
“Today, Gloria reflects happily on the love and support from her sponsor and how Holt has restored her hope for the future,” our team in Uganda shares. “She says she is evidence of God’s goodness. She often encourages other children to trust in God and dream big.”
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