Gift’s Story

Zephaniah is the fourth born into a family of five sons. The father of the children just left one night and has not been seen since 2014. Zefa’s mother Lydia has always tried her best to support her little family, but she has no formal education and struggled to find employment. She and her eldest son Jesse worked odd jobs for neighbors while her 2^nd and 3^rd sons (Bright and Jacob) collected scrap metal from garbage bins in town to sell for cash. The two youngest children (Zephaniah and Isaac) would stay home or with neighbors until their mother and oldest siblings returned from work. All five of the children have a strong work ethic and a desire to attend school. They have attended classes on and off throughout the years, but have not received any graduation documents as their mother has not been able to pay the exam fees. In 2021, Lydia’s landlord tore down the house she had been living in, but Lydia and her children had nowhere to go and so they remained in a house which was under construction.

This same year, PFP stepped in to offer a hand up. They are now renting in a safer space and PFP is working with Lydia to build her own business selling soft drinks and other food items. PFP is working hand in hand with Lydia to provide the opportunity for all five children to attend school. Life is looking up for Zefa and his family, and they hope that by working together they will all be able to rise up out of the poverty they were born into. Zephaniah hopes to become a driver one day so that he will have a steady income and can help his mother to find stability.