“I will never stop learning,” Lapeko Goretti adamantly proclaims. “My hair may turn gray, but as long as I’m still breathing, I’ll never stop learning.”
Lapeko Goretti, raised by her grandmother in Northern Uganda, had the unexpected opportunity to attend school through Project Have Hope’s scholastic sponsorship program. No one in her family – grandmother, mother, nor older sisters – had ever attended school. She knew of the word, school, but attached no meaning to it. She recalls when she was asked if she’d prefer boarding or day school, the only word she understood was “gang kwan” (school). Boarding school, day school, she knew nothing of either. So she just picked one – boarding school. “Project Have Hope bought me a mattress, blanket, sheets, shoes, everything!” Lapeko recalls, flooded by a memory of excitement. “I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I’m going to school finally!”
From village life to boarding school was a drastic change, but Lapeko’s strength is in her adaptability. The language barrier was her greatest challenge. She spoke only Acholi, whereas everyone else mostly spoke English. Fellow PHH students helped to teach her English. By her second year in school, she ranked second in her class.
“I was born to learn new things,” Lapeko states with confidence. “I enjoy learning new things, new experiences, learning by meeting people from new cultures. Learning makes me capable of making a future.”
Upon completing senior four, she pursued a course in hotel management. The curriculum prepared her for many roles in the industry – that of receptionist, housekeeper, waitress and chef. Currently, she works at a small guest house filling a variety of roles, as needed.
Lapeko is grateful for the opportunity to go to school and values it as a gift not all children are able to receive. “Don’t give up on your dreams,” she encourages the younger generation. “Aim high.”
She lives by her own words. “I still have dreams. Marriage comes after.” Lapeko is determined to build her own future. “By working, I know I can take care of myself and I’m not dependent on a husband.” In a culture where girls tend to marry young and live a life strapped to bearing children and taking care of the home, Lapeko has chosen an uncommon path.
An avid student, Lapeko is currently enrolled in both a computer course and a German language class. Fluency in English, Swahili and basic French is not enough to satiate her appetite to learn. “And after I finish that, next I’ll go for a driving course,” she says with the ferocious confidence of the go-getter that she is. “Through learning, I can get opportunities. If I fail to get a catering job, I can get a job with a foreign language, or even a job driving.” Lapeko’s drive to learn and willingness to adapt are helping her to create a future of unbridled success.
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