Abigale, a mother of five, dreams of the future as she gets her daughter, Mary, ready for school. Living in Katiti Village in rural Zambia, she knows all too well that getting a good education for her children can be a challenge.
With a new preschool open in the area, however, Abigale is now optimistic about her six-year-old daughter’s future knowing she will get a solid foundation in the important early years.
When Abigale and her husband, Felix, first heard about Bright Hope building preschools nearby through the local church, they decided to volunteer. Despite being busy with their jobs in fishing and fish trading, they found time to move supplies from the local lake up to the new preschool building. Some days, Abigale and other women from the community worked from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. hauling water up from the lake to the construction site.
Abigale and her husband support their family through fishing and fish trading.
When asked if all the hard work was worth it, Abigale confidently replied:
“We did it for the children. It was definitely worth it. When my [older] children enrolled in grade one they didn’t know anything and they struggled. But now Mary knows all her letters and numbers. She will be ready for grade one.”
Now with a greater sense of hope, Abigale’s dreams for her daughter have grown—she wishes for Mary to finish school, find a steady job and become completely independent.
