Irene Chibaya
A promising student with the chance to build her own future
Grade 6 · Chamukwenjera Primary School · Chivhu, Zimbabwe
Irene, born on 14 May 20215, is 11 years old and has been doing well at school for several years. Her teachers describe her as a promising child, and her school reports show consistent good performance.
In Grade 6, Irene was ranked 3rd out of 25 students in one term and 4th out of 26 in another.
She enjoys reading the Bible in her spare time and is a hardworking student with a good chance of achieving great things in the future.
Irene’s story
Irene lives with her grandmother and her three brothers and sisters. Her grandmother is a widow and has health problems. She is the only person who has consistently cared for Irene since she was a baby.
Irene’s early childhood was very different from that of most children.
When Irene was about one year and eight months old, her mother brought her to a bus in South Africa and handed her over to someone unknown to the family. Her grandmother was told that a parcel was being sent to the village.
When she went to collect the parcel, she discovered that it was not a parcel at all.
It was her granddaughter, Irene.
Irene was very ill when she arrived. She had wounds on her head and needed immediate medical attention. Her grandmother took her to hospital, where she received the care she needed.
Since then, her grandmother has raised her.
Irene does not know her father, and his identity is not known to the family. Her mother was absent from her life for many years. The first time Irene saw her mother again was in 2025, when her mother came to visit her in the village.
<<< Irene’s grandmother
Growing up with very little
When we visited Irene, we saw the simple conditions in which she lives.
She shares a very small house with her grandmother and her three brothers and sisters. There is very little space, and all five sleep on the floor.
The small round hut next to the house is their kitchen, where they cook over a wood fire.
There is space around the home to grow vegetables, which could help the family become more self-sufficient. But they currently lack the basic resources to make this possible: a simple fence to protect the garden, seeds and access to water.
Her grandmother cannot afford Irene’s school costs on her own. An uncle sometimes helps with the fees, but this support is not enough to guarantee that Irene can continue her education.
A future worth investing in
Despite the circumstances she has grown up in, Irene continues to perform well at school. Her reports show a girl who is learning, progressing and taking her education seriously. Her teachers believe she has a good chance of achieving great things if she is given the opportunity to continue.
Irene has already overcome more than most children her age should have to.
Now she deserves the chance to build a future beyond those circumstances.
€150 can give Irene a full year of education.
A year in which she can continue learning, developing her abilities and working towards the future she deserves.
Help Irene stay in school. Click here to read how you can help.
