“I grew up in a loving family of seven in a tight-knit community where resources were scarce and opportunities were limited. In my family home, we have no electricity or running water. I have always displayed a curiosity and hunger for knowledge, but to access the Internet and study online, I have to walk a long distance to our local chapel. I hope one day to become a Public Health worker so that I can help individuals in my community know more about disease prevention and other health related concerns.”

—Stella M.

“My father died when I was very young. My mother would sweep streets to earn money to feed the family. Often we didn’t have enough to eat. I hope to get an education so that one day I can open an orphanage for abandoned children.”

—Anita A.

“My mother died in childbirth when I was 3 years old. My father remarried, but my step-mother abandoned us and my father left to work in another village. I was left to care for my younger siblings at the age of 11. My hope is to be a script writer and filmmaker.”

—Lou Nan I.

“I had to leave my village to save my life. I lived on the streets for two years doing odd jobs to stay alive until a kind Reverend Father took me in. I hope to gain an education in business so that I can have my own poultry farm.”

—Daniel C.

“I come from a family of nine children. After my father died when I was 6 years old, we were forced to separate as a family since we no longer had any means of support. I did housework for a family in exchange for board and to help with my education. I taught French to missionaries at the Ghana LDS Mission Training Center and now am working on improving my English so that I can attend school in the US and pursue my dream of working in Travel and Tourism.”

—Marthe Y.