Monica defies the odds & sets medicine in her sight
Monica P. lives with her father, step-mother and her two step-brothers in a mud-brick two-roomed house with neither electricity nor running water. Her father speaks with grief in his voice; “It has been a year now since we had electricity or television”. Living hand to mouth, they can’t afford to buy firewood to heat the home during the harsh Romanian winter and don’t have a heating stove. “We bring branches from the forest and we carry it on our shoulders,” says Argentina, Monica’s step-mother.
It has been a year now since we had electricity or television Monica’s childhood was not a happy one. When she was three years old she was abandoned by her mother who left her in the care of her grandmother on her father’s side. At age five she contracted a fever and suffered terrible convulsions. Her grandmother was terrified and her stress contributed to a heart attack, which subsequently took her life. Monica feels guilty over her grandmother’s death and her conscience doesn’t let her forget those unhappy days. She whispers with sorrow “my grandmother died because of me”. Since then, she has lived with her father.
Monica talks about her mother as ‘the woman who gave her birth’. She remembers seeing her for the first time when she was in the fourth grade, although they live in neighbouring villages. Although her mother is well off financial, she doesn’t provide any support to her daughter. She takes good care of Monica’s younger sister Georgiana who Monica adores, and wishes she could see more often but their mother does not allow visits. “I love my sister Georgiana. She is one year younger than me and she is a beautiful person. She is open and talkative and funny and she is also a good student,” says Monica.
Monica’s father is the only one who works by day to support his family, but his income is irregular. He barely manages to buy food for his children after a week of hard work in the city. Monica helps her mother with the household work as “she cannot do it all by herself especially with two young children”. There are many times when Monica cooks, cleans or makes bread to have something to eat. “We have relatives in the village, but they cannot help us because they are as poor as we are”, says the father.
Monica’s state allowance contributes to the home income because “my younger brothers need more and the money my father earns is never enough”. She strongly believes that they will make do only with “God’s mercy”.
A very good student, Monica longs to learn and to go to school. She sacrifices herself to make her wish come true. When she was in the 8th grade, she decided to work by day for her neighbours in the village to be able to buy the writing materials required at school. Monica often had to do her homework by candlelight but even so, she earned good results at school. She was even admitted to a high school in Craiova with a grade average of 7.34. Despite her poor material situation, Monica says firmly, “I want to make a way in life and I will go to school by all means.”
I want to make a way in life and I will go to school by all means Monica’s dream is to go to high school and then to attend the Faculty of Medicine. But she needs support in order to accomplish her dream. World Vision made the first step and included her in the project, “I want to be in the 9th grade”. The project aims to support children who graduate from ‘gymnasium’ (primary school) from rural areas who have no possibilities to continue their studies at high schools in the city.
Monica now goes to a high school in the city and wakes at 5am to go to school by bus. She returns home at 3pm, does her homework, studies and helps her mother with the household and taking care of the children.
”I want to be in the 9th grade” project covers Monica’s bus tickets but she also needs writing materials and clothes. “I never buy clothes; I wear what other big hearted people offer me. My goal is to go to high school and I do not care what I wear there. There are colleagues who look down at me for not wearing nice clothes, but I cannot miss school for this.”
“I believe that only with a helping hand from somebody or from World Vision through this Scholarship project I will be able to succeed and keep going to high school. I would have probably stayed behind and worked in the field without World Vision’s support,” shares Monica.
World Vision supports the family with Gift-in-Kind donations when possible. The “I want to be in the 9th grade” project meets the individual needs of students, such as bus tickets, accommodation, clothing and writing materials through a US$30 (100 lei) per month donation. Students also have the opportunity of attending museum visits, attend vocational counselling and participate in a summer camp.
It has been a year now since we had electricity or television Monica’s childhood was not a happy one. When she was three years old she was abandoned by her mother who left her in the care of her grandmother on her father’s side. At age five she contracted a fever and suffered terrible convulsions. Her grandmother was terrified and her stress contributed to a heart attack, which subsequently took her life. Monica feels guilty over her grandmother’s death and her conscience doesn’t let her forget those unhappy days. She whispers with sorrow “my grandmother died because of me”. Since then, she has lived with her father.
Monica talks about her mother as ‘the woman who gave her birth’. She remembers seeing her for the first time when she was in the fourth grade, although they live in neighbouring villages. Although her mother is well off financial, she doesn’t provide any support to her daughter. She takes good care of Monica’s younger sister Georgiana who Monica adores, and wishes she could see more often but their mother does not allow visits. “I love my sister Georgiana. She is one year younger than me and she is a beautiful person. She is open and talkative and funny and she is also a good student,” says Monica.
Monica’s father is the only one who works by day to support his family, but his income is irregular. He barely manages to buy food for his children after a week of hard work in the city. Monica helps her mother with the household work as “she cannot do it all by herself especially with two young children”. There are many times when Monica cooks, cleans or makes bread to have something to eat. “We have relatives in the village, but they cannot help us because they are as poor as we are”, says the father.
Monica’s state allowance contributes to the home income because “my younger brothers need more and the money my father earns is never enough”. She strongly believes that they will make do only with “God’s mercy”.
A very good student, Monica longs to learn and to go to school. She sacrifices herself to make her wish come true. When she was in the 8th grade, she decided to work by day for her neighbours in the village to be able to buy the writing materials required at school. Monica often had to do her homework by candlelight but even so, she earned good results at school. She was even admitted to a high school in Craiova with a grade average of 7.34. Despite her poor material situation, Monica says firmly, “I want to make a way in life and I will go to school by all means.”
I want to make a way in life and I will go to school by all means Monica’s dream is to go to high school and then to attend the Faculty of Medicine. But she needs support in order to accomplish her dream. World Vision made the first step and included her in the project, “I want to be in the 9th grade”. The project aims to support children who graduate from ‘gymnasium’ (primary school) from rural areas who have no possibilities to continue their studies at high schools in the city.
Monica now goes to a high school in the city and wakes at 5am to go to school by bus. She returns home at 3pm, does her homework, studies and helps her mother with the household and taking care of the children.
”I want to be in the 9th grade” project covers Monica’s bus tickets but she also needs writing materials and clothes. “I never buy clothes; I wear what other big hearted people offer me. My goal is to go to high school and I do not care what I wear there. There are colleagues who look down at me for not wearing nice clothes, but I cannot miss school for this.”
“I believe that only with a helping hand from somebody or from World Vision through this Scholarship project I will be able to succeed and keep going to high school. I would have probably stayed behind and worked in the field without World Vision’s support,” shares Monica.
World Vision supports the family with Gift-in-Kind donations when possible. The “I want to be in the 9th grade” project meets the individual needs of students, such as bus tickets, accommodation, clothing and writing materials through a US$30 (100 lei) per month donation. Students also have the opportunity of attending museum visits, attend vocational counselling and participate in a summer camp.
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