Writing for some is a hobby, but for ‘Mercy’ (not her real name) it is something that has developed her self-esteem. ‘Mercy’ is a Grade 7 student and has been sponsored by Young Focus since she was in Grade 5. She is already 18 years old and is quite a bit older than her classmates. Despite the age gap, she still gets along well with them. Her age hasn’t stopped her being active in school. When she was in Grade 6 she got involved in their school publication and participated in an inter-school journalism competition as a feature writer. Despite experiencing a lot of challenges, from losing their home and living on the streets to, at one point, being forced to stop attending school, Mercy has shown her eagerness to continue her education, as well as her strong desire to graduate from school. For Mercy, being part of Young Focus is the opportunity of a lifetime. She has high hopes that through the sponsorship, she will be able to finish her studies.

‘Mercy’ continues developing herself through the life skills activities and tutorials she attends at Young Focus. Although she is no longer part of the school publication at her new school, ‘Mercy’ continues to hone her interest in writing and news. On weekends, she is busy reading books, writing and listening to news. Mercy loves teaching her younger siblings as she dreams of being a teacher in the future.