Joana lives with her mother and sisters in her uncle’s house. He has been in jail, in South Africa for a good number of years. Her father abandoned her mother right after she became pregnant! Her mother is an extremely hard worker, she works on a vegetable garden which is 1 hour away from home, she crops: manioc, corn, and vegetables.

Joana is part of the UPG family in Chongoene and and supported by the Sponsoring Program. At the age of 4 she started attending Escolinha de Santa Catarina (one of the three preschools financed by UPG). It’s amazing to see her grow! Joana received a gift from her godmother: a Nenuco doll, amazing!