Meet Maria Nakibuule

Maria is a 7-year-old Primary one (P1) pupil at God Cares School. She comes from a community where most kids have given up on school because their parents or guardians cannot afford the educational costs required to sustain them in school. Maria lives with her grandmother in Nabutiti, one of the Kampala suburbs.
Maria started to live with her grandmother at the age of six months when her mother suffered from mental illness and was admitted to a mental hospital. She was later discharged with medication and had the support and prayers of her church, but unfortunately has lost her memory and does not even recognize her child. Maria does have a father, but ever since the mother had a mental breakdown, he took off and cut off all communication with Maria's maternal relatives. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Maria's grandmother is a widow, and her home is comprised of nine people. She is a small-scale market vendor who sells vegetables like onions, tomatoes, etc. Her earnings cover the basic domestic needs of her family. Due to the ongoing financial struggle, Maria's grandmother could never help her children go through school, nor could she pay for her granddaughter's school.

The social workers' office at God Cares School became aware of Maria's plight and invited her to school. Maria was blessed with a sponsor through Buyamba Outreach Ministries in Uganda and began school in 2019. She loves her studies, recently graduated from kindergarten, and has advanced to the Primary level. Maria is full of hope and can now dream big because of the quality education she gets from GCS, the love and support of her sponsor, and her new family…the God Cares family.