It All Started with a Teenage Student's Need for Tuition
It all began on a summer afternoon as I returned from a hospital visit to the parish
where I resided while on vacation in Nigeria. “Good day, Father (mokom ooo fada),” a
lady greeted as I alighted from the car. I noticed tears briskly flowing down her
cheeks, and swiftly she exclaimed, “Fada mbok nwam mien (please Father help me), my son
is deeply troubled and worn out emotionally.” Upon inquiry, I learned she demanded that
her son give up his pursuit of a college education due to a lack of school fees, despite
his brilliant scores in the entrance examination. While empathizing with the lady's
plight, I knew I wouldn't be able to help as a full-time
graduate student at the time. “Osong eti-eti eka (it's really hard, woman),” was my
response.
However, days later, I shared her story with a group of friends, whose smiles and
encouragement boosted my confidence. With their support, a total of 52,200 naira,
equivalent to 250 USD at the time, was raised as a scholarship.
The encounter with the lady and the generosity of those friends got me reflecting on how
a child's life can be cut off from education, and how not being able to learn a skill
could impede a child's potential. These gave birth to Hope Education Mission (HEM), with
the aim of supporting the education of the poor and underprivileged children of our
community and its surrounding areas. Since 2015, Hope Education Mission has provided
scholarships to indigent children and assisted some to train as skilled technicians
across the board. What defines Hope Education Mission is “the education of the young for
empowerment”. We provide nets, but recipients must be prepared to go fishing - to empower
themselves and potentially give back to the society.
Please consider partnering with Hope Education Outreach in fostering its mission. What
special gift you might want to give to help in the ongoing education of the poorest of
the poor children will be appreciated. As it says in Proverbs 11:25, “When you refresh
the lives of other people, God will refresh you with his joy and presence.” Together we
are sharing Christ and loving people.
With Much Gratitude!
Fr. Livinus Anweting, PhD.
Founding Director, Hope Education Mission.
