She dared to dream

In November 2023 I travelled to Zimbabwe and I came into contact with a 14 year old girl called Blessing. She really stood out to me. She'd come to our house everyday after school and would just sit with me. After spending time with her and asking her life story. I got to know that she was from a single family home and her mum had struggled to pay school fees until a donor started paying for her. As we got talking I asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up and she said she wanted to be a tailer because she was good with her hands but she didn't know how she could do that in the Zimbabwean economy. Where possibilities are seemingly limited and there is a lack of opportunity. From the onset I could see she struggled with her confidence as she often stumbled over her words and spent a lot of time looking down. I made it my personal mission to get to know her and change the way she viewed herself. We had 4 coaching sessions where we worked on how she saw herself and the stories that she believed about herself and her environment. Growing up without anything really has an impact on your ability to dream big and hope for more. One time we sat down whilst sitting on the veranda and she turned around to me and said 'no one has ever spoken to me and taught me these things like you have, do you need to go back to England' in that moment I was filled with mixed emotions. I was happy that I was making impact and she really started seeing herself in a different light. She started walking different with her head held high and allowed herself to dream big. However, the realisation that there are many Blessings that are around the world that are in need for people to believe in them, to spend time with them and tell them that they can be successful. There is a need. It gave me so much more energy to do what I do. This is why Hopereaching United exists. Because there is a need for it. It's not about the organisation it's about the people at the other side that need the help. One conversation can change a young person's life. We are on a mission to reach as many Blessing's as we can.