Student Profile
| Name: | Mercy Chisala |
| Gender: | Female |
| Date of birth: | 24th October 1991 |
| Place of birth: | Mansa, Zambia |
| Guardian: | Mary Mwewa |
| Profession: | Telephone Operator with Ministry of Education |
Family Background:
Mercy was born in Mansa, in Luapula Province, the northern most province of Zambia. She moved to Lusaka early in her childhood with her parents and four siblings.
Mercy’s parents passed away soon after coming to Lusaka. She is therefore an orphan but fortunately she has found a home. Mercy and her four siblings live with a close family friend, Mary Mwewa. Sadly, Ms. Mwewa is blind and struggles to provide for Mercy and her siblings. She works for the Ministry of Education as a telephone operator. She goes to work being assisted by someone, who helps her get to the bus stop. Unfortunately, some days there is no one to assist Ms. Mwewa and she stays home from work. Ms. Mwewa would like to have more work, and has looked, but struggled to find any organization that will employ a blind person.
Mercy's Education:
Mercy attends Chibelo Basic School in Lusaka and has earned the 3rd academic position in her class. She wrote in her application that she has learned a lot at Chibelo and believes the administrators and teachers at Chibelo are good.
Her favorite subjects in school are mathematics, English, and science.
Outside the classroom, Mercy is an active member of the HIV/AIDS Resource Center at Chibelo School. She frequents the center to learn more about HIV/AIDS and also works as a peer counselor and educator.
Mercy's Interests:
Mercy likes reading books, cooking, and drawing. She wants someday to be an accountant and hopes very much to achieve that goal in her life.
What the teachers think of Mercy:
The teachers at Chibelo School say Mercy is one of the best pupils in the seventh grade. She is well behaved and captures all the concepts very fast. She is a bit quiet in class, but when she contributes, it is always thoughtful and intelligent. Furthermore, the teachers note that she is a hard working and determined girl.