Last week we heard from Jack Eans, who was visiting our programs in Cambodia and discovering the impact a school has on a child and a community. We’d like to continue that focus on education (and in the process, answer some questions from our Facebook page).

Depending on the country, a project will support a child’s education in various ways. Here’s a peek into the life of a student. Piuma has a personal source of inspiration and motivation for pursuing education, but she needed help along the way…

Can you imagine how different your life would be without your education? Neither can Piuma.

Piuma’s parents separated when she was very young. Now she lives with her mother, who suffers from a chronic heart condition. Her mother constantly reminds Piuma that education must be her primary concern so she can secure a good future.

That’s where Mission of Mercy comes in. As a bright six year old, Piuma was fortunate to enroll in one of our schools in Sri Lanka. In spite of her mother’s health problems and sporadic income, Piuma was able to concentrate on her studies.

With the help of our staff, Piuma worked toward her fifth grade scholarship exams, the milestone of education in Sri Lanka. For a child’s education to continue, they must do well. Piuma not only did well but managed to get high scores; she was recognized for her academics and promoted with distinction.

Yet the support Mission of Mercy offers a child extends beyond education. In 2003, Piuma’s family faced a huge loss when floods destroyed their home. After the waters receded, Piuma and her family were left homeless. This could have been a devastating blow to a young girl trying to excel in her studies, but it wasn’t. The project Piuma attends was able to intervene and build her family a new home, even one with electricity. This enabled Piuma to continue her studies (and study later in the day) while her family rebuilt their lives.

Piuma is very grateful to everyone who has been involved in helping her with her education, including her sponsors. She continues to excel in school, taking college level science subjects. She has great aspirations and dreams of becoming a cardiologist so she can help those who struggle with heart conditions like her mother. She knows that without her education, her dreams of helping others with heart problems would not be within reach.

The support and tutoring Piuma received is not uncommon in our programs. Studies show that education is the most effective tool in combatting poverty. Over the next few days, we will focus on how different projects support a child’s education, and how you as a sponsor can encourage your child’s education, too.