Overtone Chimowa

" I live in Lolo village. I am third born in a family of five. My father worked as a driver until he passed away in 1994.

After the death of my father, mother could not manage to feed us, but she encouraged me to work hard, and I was accepted to secondary school in 2000.

My brother died in 2002 when I was in form 2, and worse still, in the same year I lost my mother.

I was forced to drop out of school, and I used to go around searching for food for my brother and sister. Instead of going to school I could wake up early in the morning going out to beg as a way of earning a living.

In 2004 by God's grace I met Mrs Unyolo who was deputy head at Luchenza CDS School, who started paying my school fees. In the same year she introduced me to Fochta, as she also had other children to take care of as she is a widow.

In 2006 I sat for Malawi School Certificate and scored 24 points, and am now awaiting to sit for University Entrance Examination.

Equally important Fochta was not only paying school fees but we were also given maize flour to take home. With this programme I could not starve with hunger at home, instead I could study hard for my success"