Elvis is in class 1 (the equivalent of first grade) and is already the primary caregiver in his home.

He cooks, cleans, fetches firewood and water, washes clothes, and cares for his ill grandmother and three younger siblings. Elvis was abandoned by his parents when he was just three years old. AIDS has orphaned most of the children that Umoja serves, but abandonment is also common. What is most amazing is that despite the unthinkable challenges that these students face, the top performing students in many of the schools are students served by Umoja.

When asked how we could pray for him, Elvis asks us to pray that he is able to stay in school so that he can get a good education to support his family.