Matida, the eldest of her siblings, at 13 has had to sacrifice most of her childhood.  Unable to afford school, she spends her days doing chores and cooking for her family.  Her family is one of the poorest in her Darfur village, and the war has only made it worse.  Though she longed to go to school, Matida assumed that education would never be an option for her and her siblings, as they would likely never be able to afford the fees, clothing and other basic necessities required to go to school. 

One evening, all of that changed.

Matida was on her way home after collecting water from the well when she saw boys and girls her age coming out of classrooms holding books and chatting animatedly.  She knew some of them, so asked how they could afford to go to school.   “Because it’s free,” they told her, “It’s a War Child school.”  Not only were lessons free, but the textbooks, notebooks and other supplies were too.  She was very excited for herself and her siblings.  The next day, she enrolled at the school.

Now, a year later, she is reading, writing and learning numbers. “I believe education is the key of life,” she told us.  She says that she is going to be a teacher so she can help other poor children like her to have a better and more peaceful life.  She says she will always be grateful for this opportunity and wants to pass the gift on.