Samuel remembers picking up a gardening hoe in fourth grade at the age of nine so he could earn money to pay for his schooling. Education was a constant battle. He could only attend classes for two to three weeks per term, spending the rest of his time working on farms alongside his mother to help provide for their family and cover school fees. Yet, despite the hardships, his mother, Jane, never lost sight of their goal. She knew that education was the only path forward and made sure it remained their priority.

Jane faced unimaginable struggles after losing her husband. As a mother living with hearing loss, she navigated a world that often overlooked her, making difficult choices every day to ensure her children had food, shelter, and access to an education. Samuel saw the weight of these burdens on his mother and was determined to help however he could—even if it meant sacrificing his childhood.

Despite the challenges, Samuel graduated from 8th grade and was determined to continue to high school. Jane, though proud of his ambition, encouraged him to stay home and work so that his younger siblings could at least complete primary school—the highest level of education she could afford. But Samuel refused to accept that this was the end of his journey. He reached out to his church community, hoping for support.

The church came together and raised $20, though it was not enough to cover all of what Samuel needed to start his first year of high school. However, by the time he had the funds, he had missed almost two academic terms. The money covered his supplies but not his tuition, so he had no choice but to periodically take up farm work to pay his fees. Without the ability to afford room and board, Samuel walked an hour and a half to school every morning, leaving at 4 AM on an empty stomach, and walked back home each evening.

Seeing his struggle, Jane reached out to a church member near Nyaduong for help. Initially, the woman was generous, even paying part of Samuel’s school fees with two sacks of maize. But over time, her generosity turned into expectation—she required Samuel to work in exchange for shelter, leaving him little time for his studies. He completed Form One while living there, but when the new school year arrived, he was told not to return unless he could pay his fees.

A concerned local high school teacher recommended Samuel to Take Heart, and we stepped in to provide critical support for him and his family. Our first step was to stabilize Samuel’s school attendance by covering his tuition, providing him with a proper uniform, and securing him a place in the school’s boarding accommodation—eliminating his daily 1.5-hour walk to and from school

For the first time in years, Samuel no longer has to carry the overwhelming burden of figuring out how to pay for his education, where he will live, or how he will make the exhausting daily walk to school. With his basic needs met, he can now focus entirely on his studies, his future, and the dreams he has long fought to achieve.

Beyond helping Samuel, Take Heart is also committed to supporting Jane and his younger siblings, ensuring that their family’s story continues to be one of resilience and hope.

Pictured below: One photo shows Samuel at his home, while the other captures the moment he receives his school uniforms

{“capture_mode”:”AutoModule”,”faces”:[“-1710_-1246_-1386_-926”]}