17 years old, Louis is in the 9th grade at a nearby public school in Ng’ombe. When you talk with him, his passion for learning and heart for his community is infectious. But if you listen for long, you’ll discover it wasn’t always an easy journey.
Originally from Namibia, Louis and his family settled in Zambia when he was a young boy. But due to immigration and employment issues, his family was forced to split up. As a child, he attended two different community schools that unfortunately both failed him. Due to their own organizational challenges, they struggled to provide a meaningful education.
Eventually, Louis found his way to Fountain of Life Community School and his story took a new direction. Despite having attended two other schools for several years, he had to start over again in 1st grade.
When he began, Teacher Magret remembers him being a troublesome boy with a short temper. But over time, he began to develop a character of responsibility, compassion, and maturity. One of the defining moments in his time at Fountain of Life was participating in the GROW program in 7th grade - where every week they studied character virtues by exploring individuals in the Bible.
Louis says this program changed everything for him. He learned more about who God is and who He wants him to be. He says the most important thing he wants to do when he grows up is to love and help people.
Louis says, “We don’t always know where people are coming from, and what their situation is. Our role is to help them no matter what.”
Louis is already putting this into practice. He takes time to go back to Fountain of Life and help guide the younger children. Recently, he had a talk with the boys about how they should take care of themselves, how they should treat others, and the importance of studying. He’s already visited the new school location that Priscilla and Magret opened this year, and he’s inspired by it.
Having personally experienced the failure of other community schools, he is so appreciative of how the teachers at Fountain of Life continue to press on for the sake of the children.
Fountain of Life was a turning point for Louis. Not only was he equipped with the skills to read and write to continue to higher education, but he has developed a character of love, service, and integrity. We have no doubt this young man will make a difference in his community!
To read more about Fountain of Life’s new location, check out this story of dedication and determination.