Student Stories



MOSES' STORY My name is Moses, I am a Form Three student studying at Fountain of Hope Christian School. I am fifteen years old, a born again Christian and I have one brother and sister. I have seen God moving in my life and in my family. I joined this school in 2005 starting at nursery level. At first I was unhappy and I thought it was boring to be at school. As time went on though I was attracted to what others were doing and how they were so happy. So I had to change my emotions. Since then I have been so pleased by what is in the school. I have learnt many things. I am growing academically, spiritually and also in other aspects of life like socially - living with other people in a proper way. I have seen my life changing because I have been taught to be close to God and to have a relationship with him.	RAMADHAN'S STORY My name is Ramadhan, I am thirteen years old and in Form Two at Fountain of Hope School. My father had left our family when I was young. My mother sent me to school here in Form One, I arrived with a heavy heart and was sad and angry. My father smoked and drank alcohol so much and we lived in a place called Kisongo in Arusha where I studied Quran at Madrasa. Then things changed. One day a Pastor prayed for me and now I am saved and transformed. I am not angry anymore and I have joy, its like a burden is gone from me. I am thanking God for this good opportunity and the chance to be in this school. I love making electrical things and would like to study to be an electrical engineer one day.
EL-NORAH'S STORY My name is El-norah, I came to Fountain of Hope School in 2009 when I was very small. My father brought me to New Life Foundation (NLF) because he didn’t have any work so he came and asked for help for me to go to school. To this day I don’t know where my real mother is. I thank God because NLF has been helping me, if it wasn’t for NLF I couldn’t study. If my father gets money he is not caring for me as he is just drinking alcohol. NLF has been encouraging me so much. I think it is an amazing school here. The teachers care about me, they love me and they help me with anything I need from them. Now I am 12 years old and in grade six. I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I am doing well in my studies. When I go home I tell my dad about God and I pray for him. In my future I want to be a doctor.	JOAN'S STORY My name is Joan and I am nine years old and in grade five. I love to study hard and one day I want to be a mathematics teacher. When I started school in grade one I was not saved. I was speaking bad words especially if my mother disciplined me and I would even throw things at her. Then when I was in grade two I got saved and filled with Holy Spirit. From that day I stopped speaking bad words. I pray for my brothers and sisters and I tell them things about God. Now I listen to Holy Spirit and I am teaching them about that too. When I was in Grade four I had exams and I fasted and prayed and I did really well. New Life Foundation has helped me to reach up to grade five. Thank you New Life, you have helped me so much.
LINDA'S STORY When I was very young my father drank a lot of alcohol, he was always angry and our lives were very hard. Then one day he gave his heart to God and ever since that day he decided to never drink alcohol again and it was when our good life began. That same year I began to love and care for my father because he began to love and care for us too. I am now 15 years old and studying in a good school - Fountain of Hope. Glory be to God in heaven who can do a lot of wonders to the life of His people. I am in good health and growing spiritually and academically.
DORCAS' STORY When I was young I got sick with malaria and the doctors gave me medicine which cured the malaria but caused damage to my ears and throat so I could not hear or speak. My dad tried many alternatives for me to be healed, but none helped. He took me to witch doctors, hospitals and to medical doctors, but nothing worked. So because I could not hear or speak, my parents wanted to take me to a special school for the deaf. But that was not God's plan, because God knows my future. By God's grace I came to New Life Foundation. When I came here I was not able to speak or hear hardly at all, but by His grace and love I am slowly being healed. God was so faithful to me as I am able to learn and study like any other person here at NLF and I am among one of the best students. When I completed my Grade 7 exams, I got a certificate in Academic Excellence. NLF has helped me in my spiritual life too, because when I first came here, I didn’t know God. I got to know God while at New Life Foundation. Also my dad was the only one not saved in my family. Then in 2004 when I was at home, I was able to preach to my dad and he listened to me and he said "I will think about it". Then I went back to school and after some time my mum wrote me a letter saying my dad was saved. All that was by God's grace, he was baptized in a lot of water and now he can preach and he goes to church. That’s how NLF helped me and my family. Not only that, I have also seen God in my life. God has helped me understand that I am a great person in this world and a chosen person. No matter how I am physically, I still have an ability to serve God in things like preaching, encouraging others, singing and leading praise and worship. NLF has helped me to know that God has a purpose for me and a good plan. My ambition in life first of all is to be a missionary and than an auditor.	EMMANUEL'S STORY Hello, my name is Emmanuel and I would like to share what God has done in my life through NLF. In my famiIy my grandfather was practising witchcraft. Most of my uncles and aunts were dying because my grandfather was a witchdoctor and he was cursing them. He told me one day, unless I became like him, I would die too. On that day, he told me "I am giving you all this work", he wanted me to to witchcraft and to takeover from him. I said "No I cannot do this" and then he replied "If you don't do this, you will die". I was afraid that I would die but I told him “I will not die, you are the one who is going to die, because you are killing the innocent people”. He than said to me “we will see about that”. He was very angry, so I went out and left him. My grandfather said that he was a Christian and yet he was doing witchcraft. I was scared of him because I had an older brother who died, when he couldn’t stop bleeding. When my grandfather cursed somebody, they would often get sick and die. Then last year suddenly, my Grandfather was shot and he died, but nothing has happened to me, thanks to God's protection. God has been doing miracles in my life and I really thank God for that. When I first came to NLF I had problems with fainting and also heart problems. I trusted God that He would heal me and one day when Pastor called for all those people who are sick to come to the front, I went up and he prayed for me. I was healed and have not had these problems again. My family also are now all saved and my brother who had medical problems like mine has been healed. God has protected me and my family and I thank Him for that. Many children do not have a mother or father and so I like to encourage them by telling them that God has plans for them and a future. I like to encourage people to know God, because if they know God they will see miraculous changes in their life. My life has been changed ever since I began at New Life Foundation as they have supported and trained me and I can now go in front of people and I can preach and sing. God has also shown me that He wants me to be a Civil Engineer which has encouraged me a lot and I am trying to study hard.
NEEMA'S STORY My name is Neema and I come from Mailisita. My father passed away just before I was born and this was the reason my mother was driven away and abandoned me with my grandparents so she could start a new life. My mother deserted me at my grandparent's place right after she gave birth to me and I have never met my dad. My younger siblings were also abandoned by different mothers and they were left at my grandparents who although they were not able to take care of all of us, they still took us in. The community around us looked down on my grandparents because of us, but God opened up the opportunity to go to New Life Foundation. Fortunately, NLF has sponsored me from when I started secondary school in 2011. New Life has helped me in my academics and also to grow spiritually.	JUDITH'S STORY Before I came to New Life Foundation in 2004, I was at a government school. In this school there was no relationship between teachers and students. The students are afraid of the teachers because if they are angry they can punish you with a rod or a stick. There are many evil things done in these schools like theft and fighting. Once I came to NLF I learnt so many things, academically, spiritually and how to co-operate with others. I thank God because before I came here I wasn't saved and so through NLF I received Jesus Christ as my personal saviour and I know how to read my Bible well. I know now how to communicate with God. Before I came to NLF my study performance wasn't that good but I have learnt the techniques of studying here and I am doing well. Also I am able to minister to children by preaching to them, telling them Bible stories and praying with them. My ambition is to become a women's doctor.
VANESSA'S STORY Before I came to New Life Foundation in 2003, I had epilepsy and I would faint and be unconscious for a long time. I was taking medicine every day when I first arrived but then Pastor Glorious and Josephine and every worker in the school prayed for me and took good care of me and I have never fainted or had epilepsy again. I stopped taking the medicine when I was in Grade 5 and haven't had any problems with the epilepsy or fainting. New Life Foundation has also helped to change my spiritual life. I can hear from God now and I really love the Lord. I am taking Science subjects right now as I would like to be a doctor. I would like to help people with epilepsy.	MARTIN'S STORY When I was at home, I lived with my mum, grandmother and grandfather. Unfortunately my mother passed away and there was no one to help me go to school. There was a Pastor who lived near our home and he asked Pastor Glorious if I could join the school at New Life Foundation. I thank God because He gave me the chance to be at this school. If I could not be here, I do not know what my life would be like now. My fellow students (at the State school I used to go to), who studied with me are now just street guys. They don't have anything to do other than going to school but their school is not good and they are smoking and taking drugs. So I really thank God and Pastor Shoo for doing what God gave him to do, for starting up this ministry of taking and educating children who are orphans. When I grow up I would like to be a doctor and also a leader in this nation.
PENDO'S STORY I joined New Life Foundation in 2005 when I started Grade 1, at that time I was living with only my mum. Before I finished Grade 2, I was told I had to go home and that there was a problem. I never knew what the problem was, but I found when I got home, that my mum had passed away. So we had the burial ceremony and then I came back to school. After a few weeks I was put into the next grade. Then I went on with my studies until I finished Grade 7 and I passed very well in my exams. I joined Form 1 in 2011 and then Form 2. New Life Foundation has helped me a lot. It has helped me to know my talent. It has helped me improve my English speaking, because when I first came here I did not know how to speak English. It has helped me do a lot of things, I have learned how to mop, how to cook, how to clean, how to prepare and serve somebody. It has helped me reading and now because they started a computer class it has helped me with my typing. I would like to be an accountant when I grow up.	ABAGAIL'S STORY In 2002, when I was in Grade One, I joined Fountain of Hope. My family is not rich so my parents needed support for some of my school fees. Despite the fact that I am from a needy family and from a village, NLF teaches us not to despise others and that we are all equal in the eyes of God. This has been so encouraging to me as I study in this school. I no longer despise myself as being poor or a needy child, but I see myself as normal like the other students. The interaction we have at the school, like the games that we play together and when we study, we are not separated. New Life Foundation has bought hope into my life. I am able to know that when I grow up, I have a future. I thank God for NLF because it is a Christian school and it has helped me in my spiritual and academic life. In Tanzania there is a subject that troubles girls very much and that is mathematics. I was failing in class, I was getting F which is the lowest grade. My parents and my teachers were encouraging me and I was praying to God that I would improve. I have seen God answer that prayer and I am now doing well in maths. I have not been in any trouble (like being suspended) or having to leave school which many other students in other schools have. I thank God that He has been a light to my path, just like its says in the Bible.
VICTOR'S STORY I came to Fountain of Hope in January 2003. I started the third grade which means I have been here for 9 years. I came to school and I was failing in a lot of my subjects. When I reached Grade 6 that was point where I was discouraged in everything. I had a maths test with a failing result of 24%. At that time I prayed to God to at least give me a mind to understand maths. My prayer was answered. I started doing well in Math's. After some years, everything began to go extremely well. I was excelling in almost every subject. I thank God that He helped me do very well in my academics and study. In 2010 I took a Math's exam prepared by the Math's Association of Tanzania and God helped me to lead other students from other schools across Tanzania. My spiritual life has also changed a lot as I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I have been filled with the Holy Spirit and baptised at NLF. My dream for the future is to be an Engineer and eventually being the President of my own country, then later on a Math's professor in my old age.	MIRIAM'S STORY Hello my name is Miriam. It's been so long since I arrived at Fountain of Hope School as a four year old girl. I am from the Hadzabe tribe and I was living with my dad in the forest in a remote part of Northern Tanzania when my mum died ...At first I cried a lot wishing I could go home. Everything was so different ... the food, the environment and I didn't know any Kiswahili or English, just Hadzabe. The reality of my culture is that they don't worship the true God, so praise and worship times at school were new to me too. Now I am 15 years old and in Form Two and I'm really happy to be here at New Life Foundation. I think back to 2012 and remember an important day in my life; I was filled with Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues and was water baptised. I am now changed. God is using me. I hear from God and He gives me words of encouragement and prophetic words for specific people. I no longer worship the culture gods but only the true and living God. I really like schooling here. I have a strong dream to become a nurse and one day I want to go back to my people to help them as a Nurse because there are no hospitals there.
ANNA'S STORY My name is Anna and I have been at Fountain of Hope School for eight years now. I came when I was in nursery and I didn’t even know how to read the bible. Now I love reading the bible. NLF has been a great blessing in my life and in the life of my family. The year before I came my Dad got really sick and he died and then my mother didn’t have any money to send us to school. Then God sent Pastor Glorious Shoo to my home and he welcomed me to come to school. I really thank God for that opportunity. I still miss my Dad but I will see him in Heaven. I am in Grade six now and I am 12. I often wake up at night now and pray and Holy Spirit gives me things to pray for. At school I am a prayer warrior and a song leader in the praise and worship team. Science and mathematics are my best subjects. In my future I am going to be a brain and heart doctor.	ELISHA'S STORY Hello my name is Elisha, I was born in 1998 and I am the only child in my family. My father was Rwandan and he came to Tanzania because of the violent conflicts in Rwanda. Then, when I was 5 years old my father died ... when I was 7 years old my mother was sick, my family did not have enough money to treat her or to take care of me. Then my mother died and Madam Shoo began to care for me and took me to New Life Foundation. I stayed at New Life Foundation until I finished Grade 7. I was on my way to stay with my Grandfather for awhile when I was in an accident. The bus I was traveling in, hit another bus that came onto our side and went all over the road. I was not hurt and I thank God for protecting me from accidents and many other things. After staying with my grandfather for 3 months I came back to New Life Foundation and began to study for Form 1. I thank God for caring for me for this whole time and for bringing me to NLF. When I grow up, I want to become a Pastor.
DICKSON'S STORY I was 9 years old and in Grade 3 just before I came to New Life Foundation. I wasn't born again and I acted in an unchristian manner, I was smoking and other stuff. My mum convinced me to come to this school though I didn't want to come. My mum told me that if you go to NLF I only want one thing - I want you to get an education but mostly I want your heart to be transformed. So I joined NLF in Grade 3 and I came to know the Lord. The first time I went back home, my mum saw a difference, she was very proud of me and she encouraged me to grow spiritually. Another thing NLF has helped me in, is to grow in confidence. I was very scared to go in front of people and speak or share anything. I was encouraged by the staff and teachers at NLF to speak and I gained confidence. I have now been a leader at school and have spoken at the NLF Conference in front of local and overseas guests. Before NLF I was just living a normal life like everyone else, it was aimless. When I talk to my brothers and sisters about what they want to be in life, all they say is they want to get money. I am different. I want to change this country, this system of education. I want to change the current system of life in Tanzania. In the future, I would like to do engineering, specifically mining engineering. There is a wastage of minerals here and the industry is not going well. Tanzania is very rich in minerals but they are not well taken care of. I also pray that if God gives me the opportunity or position in the government. I would like to be a leader and an influential person in the area of minerals and engineering, controlling the mining in my country to help Tanzania's economic status.	PAUL'S STORY I joined NLF in 2004 when I was in Grade 3. I am a sponsored student as my parents are not able to pay much and I am very thankful to my sponsors. If I was in public school I know I would not be doing so well. Some of my friends who went to other schools, failed their national exams and are now on the streets. NLF has changed a lot of my life. It has helped me to excel in my studies and it also has good teachers academically and spiritually. At other schools they don't preach about God. Sometimes the teachers in other schools speak bad words or discourage you, but at NLF it is very different. When I compare myself with my friends who have not had the opportunity to go to a school like NLF, I think I could have ended up on the street or worse. My ambition now is to become a surgeon. I am confident that I will reach there, as throughout my primary and secondary studies I have passed well. I know God will help me, protect me, teach me and guide me to my goal. NB: Paul is sponsored and with any spare pocket money he is also helping to support (with another senior student) the monthly expenses of a younger NLF student.
NICHOLAUS'S STORY I was born in 1994 and I do not know my parents, both of them had passed away, so I was all alone. God opened the door to New Life Foundation and He used Mr and Mrs Glorious Shoo to care for me. So NLF became like my parents since when I was still very young. NLF took very good care of me and I have got education from here since Nursery till now. I am in Form 3 and it has been a help for my spiritual life. I know I have been given an education that nobody (that I know of) who has the past that I have lived, has ever got. Because, the education that I get is so expensive to get it in other places and children without parents could not afford it. So I really thank God for that and for letting NLF be what it is in spiritual and also in physical education. The subjects I enjoy are History, Civics and Biology. I really would like to be a great and famous politician in my future so that I may take my country or this nation to where God wants us to be. Because I have seen through this education that I get, that this nation has passed through many great evils that also God is tired of. So I believe that He is going to use my life to change it	DORCAS'S STORY Hello my name is Dorcas and I would like to share with you some of my story. Earlier in my life, I was used by my Grandmother to do terrible things in the practice of witchcraft. One day I remember, I found that I was outside my father's house in the morning, I was dirty and had mud over my clothes and my legs. My father asked me where had I been that night, I told him “I don’t know”. In the 2^nd year with my grandmother, I was told to go and cause disease and make my father sick. I tried but I couldn’t because my father was saved, he had God in his heart. Then when I was in Grade 5, that was the time when God saved me and I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and that was the most special day in my life. There was also a time last year when my father was very sick. The doctor told him he had serious problems with his appendix and he has to go to Dar-es-Salaam to the hospital. He did not want to go but my mother insisted. I prayed very much for him, I believed and I fasted for him to be healed. When he went to the Muhimbili Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam the doctors looked at him and said it had all gone. He had been healed. I came to New Life Foundation last year and I like it very much. I want to do everything the way God wants me too. I want to catch all that He wants me to have in my heart. I want to learn Gods commandments and to have them in my heart and to do them.
HELLEN'S STORY I would like to share with you about the life that I have been living at New Life Foundation. I was very young, I think it was around 2002 when both my parents passed away. NLF came and took me and they showed me much love. Whenever I needed their help, they were there to help me. The life that I was living before I was received in this school was not actually good. NLF has bought a very big change in my life. I was not saved actually and they prayed for me. I was among one of the first students to be in this school. They showed me love as my parents, they worked with me, they encouraged me. I don’t know how I shall pay them back. I am still praying to God that He will let me reveal His love to them and to bless them. For all these years, I really thank God because I was selected to join the Secondary School at NLF. It’s a golden chance for me. So I want to thank NLF for sponsoring me because they found for me sponsorship and I would really like to thank Pastor Shoo and Mrs Shoo and all other people. I like Science and I would like to be a person who discovers new medicines to help people in the world. I would like to grow up and be a person who makes a difference and to discover things. If someone knows me I want them to praise God that they know me and I want to reflect the glory of God.	GLORIA'S STORY Hujambo, my name is Gloria and I came to NLF after I lost both my parents. I was only 7 months old when my Dad died, my Aunty passed away when I was two and then my Mum also died in 2008. At that time I had no hope, I did not know where to go and I did not know anything. My relatives were quarreling because they wanted the things that my mum had left behind, they did not want me. It was really hard for me as I was a young girl and I didn’t know what to decide. I did not want to go to any of my relatives because I knew I would not go to school at all. So I tried to pray because my mum was a Christian and I knew about God. My mum had been working with a lady from America and God touched her heart and she saw that I didn’t have anyone to care for me and it was so hard for her to ignore what was happening to me. So she asked God what should she do for me and God told her to take me as her daughter. I was so thankful and I am really so glad because now I have hope and she has bought me to this school which has helped me to know God better. I have received my salvation while I was here and I am Born Again and I am so happy because God did wonderful things. At this time God touched my life and it was really wonderful, even though I lost all my parents, God gave me a parent who would care for me. I really want to be a doctor, which has been in my heart since I was young. I am doing well in the subjects that I need to be able to be a doctor. Last year I went to America with my adopted mother and I was really surprised, it took me a month to really believe I was in America, because it was just so wonderful. I never believed that I would ever be somewhere like America. God took me there because He knew what He wants for me. I really enjoyed being there, I learnt many things and I saw and experienced a lot. Alice’s family are really nice and they received and welcomed me and it was wonderful.