JENETH ACEN CASE NO 161

17-year-old Jeneth Acen is an enrolled child in the community of Patongo, Agago district. Jeneth did not complete her formal education because her parents could not afford to continue paying her school dues.  The project intervened by enrolling her for a tailoring course at Kitgum Technical institute which she completed two years ago, as she further narrates. “My name is Jeneth, I stopped schooling 3 years ago due to financial difficulties. My parents could not afford to educate me and my siblings because we were many and they are very poor. I dropped out of school to stay home and help my parents with garden work so that we could raise money to pay for my brother’s school fees. Sometimes what we harvested at the end of the season was not enough even for our subsistence so we had to work in other people’s gardens to raise enough money and food for the family’s ever growing needs.

Okeny Simon a ChildFund International children and youth representative in my community often visited our home either to find out how we are doing, invite us to participate in project activities or benefit from some items that the project gives to supported families. Time and again he talked to my parents and I about going back to school or attaining some form of skill that could support me in the future. And for sure I was growing and needed some knowledge or skill for me to be able to support myself lest a become a peasant farmer like my parents. However, his efforts were seen by my parents as more responsibility and an extra burden. He promised though, that when opportunity arouse, I would be considered to join other youth for a skilling program.