Honor inspires others to nursing dreams

By Staff writer |

Patient in Shalom ward, Asia

Honor is a 19-year-old girl who deeply loves her family. After her father passed away, she was expected to do all the household chores and take care of her two younger sisters, often staying up late at night to finish her schoolwork.

Honor’s mother had never stepped out of the house and was struggling to feed her children and find employment. “My mother, my siblings and I were seen as [a] burden…While my brother was seen as only hope of the family just because he is [a] boy.” This painful experience of Honor’s family clearly depicts gender-based discrimination.

However, Honor was enrolled into Shalom’s peer leadership and educator programmes where her spark to inspire young people was visible to the team. When Shalom initiated the Invisible girl project to empower vulnerable girls from Hope for Life (HFL) families, Honor was the first candidate to be recruited into the programme and fully utilised the opportunity given to her.

Months before Honor was about to graduate from high school there was pressure on her to start earning to support her family. However, she grabbed an opportunity provided to her through Shalom to pursue a 3-year GNM (general nursing and midwifery) course. “No girl in my family has pursued higher education let alone pursuing a noble profession like nursing. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity and I will make sure to give my all to make my dream of becoming a nurse a reality.”

Honor is in her second year of GNM training, passionately pursuing her studies. One of her peers is pursuing her 1st year GNM and two are working hard to apply for GNM next year. Honor’s example has opened doors for HFL families to take bold steps in pursuing higher education, not only impacting their own lives but young women in their families and community. “I look forward to being a nurse who can be an agent of deep healing in the lives of patients I serve just as Shalom was an agent of healing in my life.”

But it is truly her Christian faith which has kept her grounded, influencing her desire to be an agent of change in her community. Having heard the gospel through Shalom’s projects such as home visits and outreaches conducted in partnership with different churches, Honor regularly attends church and daily devotions in a hostel where she is staying. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we look forward to witnessing the ways her life will touch the lives of the patients she serves!