Parents Stories
Parents' Story
Pastor Isaac's Story
For Pastor Isaac, the impact of The Esther Foundation is personal. He is not only a parent of Goodness and Mercy, a Basic 7 student at Ebenezer International Academy, but also serves as a teacher within the school. From this unique position, he has witnessed firsthand the difference TEF's intervention is making in the lives of children.
According to Pastor Isaac, TEF has had a significant impact on his children, particularly through the TEF UPSKILL Programme, which introduced them to practical skills beyond their regular academic curriculum. His daughters are currently learning soap making and hairdressing, skills he believes can become valuable foundations for their financial independence in the future.
“Hope Had Already Visited My Home”
Sometimes, the first encounter with hope happens long before you realize where it came from.
“Hope Had Already Visited My Home”
Sometimes, the first encounter with hope happens long before you realize where it came from.
I am Mrs. Jennifer Mbafan Terhemen, the mother of Andrew Terhemen and Jacqueline, who are in Nursery 1 and Nursery 3 at Ebenezer International Academy. Today, I also serve as the tutor of Basic 3 in the same school, but my story with The Esther Foundation began long before I became a member of staff.
Before I ever worked at Ebenezer International Academy, I had already experienced TEF through my children. My son would return home from school with exciting stories about the Foundation's visits and the thoughtful packages they received. As a parent, watching him come home with so much joy made me realize that these visits were about more than gifts. They were creating moments that children looked forward to, moments they carried back into their homes with excitement and gratitude. Even then, I could see that someone cared enough to invest in the lives of these children.
Later, when I became a teacher at the school, I experienced that same impact from a completely different perspective. I watched TEF bring the UPSKILL Programme into our school, transforming ordinary classrooms into spaces of creativity and possibility. Students were introduced to practical skills such as hairdressing, soap making, fashion design, catering, and basic technology skills, and I saw firsthand the excitement, curiosity, and confidence those sessions ignited in them. What I had first witnessed as a mother, I was now witnessing as an educator—a Foundation that was not only encouraging children but equipping them with skills that could prepare them for life beyond the classroom.
My message to The Esther Foundation is simple but heartfelt:
Keep it up.
We at Ebenezer International Academy look forward to seeing you again and again. Your work brings hope into classrooms, joy into homes, and encouragement to everyone who believes that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and flourish.
“Four Parents. One Answered Prayer.”
Every parent dreams of giving their child a better future. Yet for many families, that dream is tested by a simple question: “How will we keep our children in school?”
“Four Parents. One Answered Prayer.”
Every parent dreams of giving their child a better future. Yet for many families, that dream is tested by a simple question: “How will we keep our children in school?”
For four parents at Ebenezer International Academy, that question carried a different weight. Their stories were different, but they all arrived at the same moment—when hope seemed uncertain, and The Esther Foundation became part of their journey.
One mother remembers the constant fear that came with the rising cost of raising her children. School fees weighed heavily on her heart, but she held on to her faith, believing God would make a way. Looking back today, she sees TEF's intervention as an answer to those prayers—a reminder that hope often arrives through people willing to stand in the gap.
Another father recalls facing one of the most difficult financial seasons of his life. Just when the pressure seemed overwhelming, his child received a scholarship through The Esther Foundation. There could not have been a more perfect time. What might have become another painful setback became a moment of relief, allowing his child to continue learning without the uncertainty that had overshadowed his family.
For another parent, the struggle would have been familiar—the kind of burden many families quietly carry every school term. But this time, the story unfolded differently. The scholarship eased what would have been another difficult chapter and replaced worry with renewed confidence that their child's education could continue.
Among the voices was also that of a widow raising two children. Her gratitude was unmistakable. Knowing that one of her children had become a scholarship beneficiary filled her with hope, not simply because of the financial support, but because someone had chosen to invest in her child's future.
Though their circumstances differed, their message to The Esther Foundation was remarkably similar. They spoke words of gratitude, offered heartfelt prayers, and expressed their hope that many more families would experience the same kind of timely intervention.
Their stories remind us that the impact of a scholarship extends far beyond the student who receives it. It reaches anxious parents, strengthens struggling families, and restores hope inside homes where uncertainty once lived.
Because sometimes, changing a child's future begins by lifting the burden from a parent's shoulders.
Mama Iorhem
A Mother’s Burden, A Foundation’s Relief
For Mama Iorhem of Vandekya, who is a farmer, the responsibility of providing for her children’s education has been a source of worry. With three children to cater for, paying their school fees was a challenge, and she struggled to find the resources needed to keep them in school.
In the midst of these difficulties, the headmaster of Ebenezer Academy had been helping to cater for the school fees of all three children, ensuring they could continue their education despite the financial constraints.