Ene Oklo, Back2Back staff, found Juwon* standing in front of the mirror in his room, looking sad. Ene approached Juwon quietly, placing a hand on his slender shoulder, and asked, “Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“No,” he answered flatly.
“Are you okay?” Ene questioned again.
Juwon’s big, brown eyes filled with fear. “Auntie, I failed my English test. I failed Uncle Vincent. All the time and teaching he gave me, and I scored a zero.”
Juwon’s tutor, Vincent, was assigned to him in March of this year. When first working with the young boy, Vincent took a special interest in Juwon as he noticed how much he struggled. He went above and beyond to help Juwon, even coming on Saturdays for extra tutoring. The time and energy Vincent gave the young boy wasn’t unnoticed, and Juwon felt guilty for not scoring better on his English exam.
Juwon looked at his reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath. Ene asked him what she could do to help, and he answered emphatically. “Beg Uncle Vincent not to be mad at me!”
“I will talk to Uncle Vincent,” said Ene. “But it is okay you’re feeling this way, because it shows you’re truly ready to do the hard work and put in the effort for next time. Low scores on an exam does not mean you are a failure, Juwon. There is always room to grow, and you have to remember – you are in charge of your education, it is not in charge of you.”
Ene then talked to Vincent, who was disappointed in Juwon’s scores, but knew it meant they had to work harder for the next exam. Vincent did not give up on Juwon. He pushed him harder and tested his skills more, knowing what the young boy was capable of, even if Juwon couldn’t see it yet.
When it came time for the final exams, Vincent was prayerful Juwon’s scores would be high enough to move him onto the next grade level. Juwon arrived home beaming as he shared the news with his dedicated tutor. “I have passed on to the next class!” Together, Vincent and Juwon shared the excitement of his accomplishment, and prepared for the next step.
This is the power of sponsorship at work – faithful funding allows tutors like Vincent to show up consistently for the students who need it. Vincent knew all along Juwon had the intelligence to pass his classes, and with time and effort, they both saw success. If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring a child and providing faithful tutors like Vincent, please visit: https://back2back.org/sponsor/ today.