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Mutale goes to school – The gift of sponsorship 
The classroom is typical of any in rural Zambia. Scanty furniture, empty window panes, tightly jammed pupils and rumbling stomachs. All the pupils would have walked more than a kilometre to get there, but one of them stands out, not because of her academic prowess but because she too can now make that journey to school.More than four years ago, school for 9-year-old Mutale was just a dream. Born with clubbed feet Mutale would hide in the doorway of her home and watch her sisters and the neighbourhood children play. If she tried to join in, which wasn’t too often, she would have to bear excruciating pain afterwards leaving her bedridden. Luckily for Mutale, she is a sponsored child, so World Vision was able to help. She underwent surgery in 2006 and is now able to wear normal shoes and walk the distance to school. Having spent her early years in pain, hiding from other children and struggling to avoid causing her parents shame, you would expect Mutale to be a quiet, withdrawn child, but the opposite is true. She has a radiant smile and is always ready to encourage a friend to do better, and provide help to anyone who asks for it. Mutale attends a school about five kilometres away from her home and fights for space on a bench in a class that is meant for 20 but holds 82. She is one of 40 girls in her class; a feat in itself as in most rural areas girls are the last to given an education. Mutale’s teacher Mr Bwalya says that Mutale is an enthusiastic pupil with great potential. But Mr Bwalya complained that it was a difficult environment to learn in, due to inadequate classroom space and deteriorating infrastructure. In the rainy season, children are unable to learn because of leaking roofs, but the teachers are committed to providing the children with quality education. The average age of her fellow students is 11, but Mutale is able to hold her own at age 9. “I work very hard at school. I don’t want to disappoint my sponsor. Because of what they did I can now wear shoes, play with my friends and walk to school,” she says. |
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