Tuni began at Sisonke School when we opened in January 2008. She is a very sociable girl therefore made friends and settled in very quickly.

Tuni lives with her mum and siblings in a rural village just outside of town. It takes her around half an hour to get school everyday.

Although Tuni's mum is working she did not have the means to pay for Tuni to attend our school. At the time when Tuni enrolled with us her father had promised to pay toward the schools fees needed each month. Unfortunately this didn't happen and as a result no school fees were paid for the whole of 2008. Tuni's mum then decided that she must move her daughter to a government school where no school fees were needed.

Early in January 2009 we happened to see Tuni out by her home during school time. We asked her where she was going school and she said Sisonke is her school and she was just waiting for her mum to pay the fees!

A day or so later Tuni arrived at school with a letter from her mum. In the letter her mum apologised for not paying any fees last year and explained to us the difficult situation at home. She asked us for help and understanding as Tuni refused to go to any other school except Sisonke.

Of course we accepted Tuni back into the school, how could we refuse a child who was so determined and so sure of what she wanted for her life. The following month Tuni's mum paid some payment towards the fees but since then we have received nothing.

In order to keep our school running we do need some amount of fees for each child. We receive no government funding and have to somehow meet the costs necessary.

It would break our hearts and Tuni's if we were to have to ask her to leave Sisonke School and that if why we now appeal for sponsorship of her education.