Lawrence’s story

Lawrence came to Village of Hope in 2007 from the Koro Abili IDP camp. His family struggled to put food on the table every day because there were so many people under one room. Without enough to eat, Lawrence picked up odd jobs, such as washing plates in hotels or digging in people’s gardens. On the worst days, they would only eat once.

Lawrence reflected on his journey: "When I started school at VOH, life became good. I could eat enough food and brush my teeth; I wore shoes for the first time. I was able to wash my clothes whenever they were dirty since soap was always available. I owned a Bible of my own for the first time. In general, my life totally changed due to God’s love.

Psychologically, the counselors started helping us to heal and cope from our past wounds alongside the teachers who worked hard to improve our academic standards; all the wonderful moms showings us all the love we had never experienced before. Spiritually, the school pastors helped us to read the Bible and to know God’s word.”

When he joined advanced level, Lawrence says, “It was a totally new environment, with a new set up, but the strong foundation from VOH took me through it all with a smile on my face.” Lawrence performed among the best students in all of Northern Uganda on his UACE (Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education) exam.