FOCHTA steps in to help teenager Ethness Mugonwo and her brother and sister
Ethness Mugonmo, aged 16, lost her parents some years ago. Until February 2012, she had been living with her grandmother and attending school near there, far from Luchenza, as a beneficiary of FOCHTA. While living there, she was pressured by her relatives to get married even though she was only 14. Their argument was that her cousin, aged 13, already had got married, and so should she. To aggravate the situation, she was accused by the wife of her teacher that she had an affair with him. Everyday, the woman would come to the school and accuse her, making the other kids ‘boo’ her as she walked into the classroom. Ethness denied this completely and due to this bullying, she ran away to Luchenza and got a job working as a housemaid.
Running away with her was her young sister aged 7 and brother aged 5, they rented a small house outside of Luchenza. Shortly after, the staff of FOCHTA found out that she was not attending school, and managed to locate her. On hearing of her plight, she was sent to another school near her home, after obtaining approval from the local authorities.
Furthermore, with the intervention of FOCHTA, her grandmother also consented to this new arrangement, and agreed to supply them with maize and other food, but far from sufficient. FOCHTA has since intervened, recognizing the courage that she has faced confronting difficult situations, ensuring that she will in future have enough provisions, including paraffin and food. She has also been given a blanket to ensure she and her two siblings, all sharing the same room, will be warm enough in the cold nights.
Currently she is in Form 2 at Luchenza Community Day School. Ethness is studying hard, trying her best to do well at school. But she will also be given extra tuition by Irene Miteche, a first year science student at Chancellor College of the University. In addition, Mrs Faines Labana, the wife of co-founder Steven Labana, has taken it upon herself to serve as guardian of Ethness (she has also taken on the same role for another beneficiary Pricilla Chakula, 14).