- Posted January 25, 2013 by
This iReport is part of an assignment:
Girls + Education: Your message
I Can Speak Now - Sherry's Story
Death is something that we all deal with but it has a different effect on all of us. Sometimes it makes us appreciate life and brings us closer to our family. Other times it makes people go into a depression. Sherry* is now a very confident 13 year old girl who speaks clearly and looks you in the eye. But she wasn’t always this way.
Her father died unexpectantly leaving Sherry and her mother alone. Sherry was very close to her father and his death casued her to go into shock. She said despite having her mother around, she still felt helpless and alone. Her speech became slurred and very difficult to understand.
Sherry’s mother was forced to move back in with her parent’s family because they could not support themselves.
Sherry’s other aunts lived in the family home and made jokes about Sherry’s speech daily. They would tell her, “you, who can’t speak properly, be quiet.”
The daily tormenting only drove Sherry into a deeper depression. Sherry was introduced to Coptic Orphans Valuable Girl Project and things quickly changed for the better. Her big sister spoke with the aunts to end the teasing. She also helped restore her personal confidence.
Now Sherry is now top of her class, she speaks clearly, and no one makes fun of her anymore. She was able to regain the confidence she had when her father was around. Sherry proudly told me that her aunts ask her to help their daughters because of how well she is doing in school.
She said “I had given up hope before I entered the Valuable Girl Project, I am so proud of myself because of how much the program has changed me for the better."