Meet Harriet
For Harriet, every day was haunting, especially after her parents died. As a child, she found herself sleeping on the floor of a church with her friend Rita. Nightly they would fend off street dogs who would come to the church in search of food. During the day, Harriet would apply for jobs only to be rejected because of her lack of schooling. She was unable to afford an education because she could not pay. It was a vicious cycle of poverty.
Through the church, Harriet learned about Ravens and applied to be a part of the program. The ministry immediately provided mattresses, clothing, and food for the girls sleeping in the church.
“I had no money, no hope. Without Ravens I would have looked to men for help and likely would have become a prostitute,” Harriet says.
Harriet was accepted into Ravens and studied early childhood education. She proudly graduated in 2014 and immediately started working as a teacher.
“For me, life changed completely after graduation as I started taking care of myself and paying my rent,” she says. “This was my dream, and Ravens allowed me to fulfill it.”
Harriet has now taught more than 75 children and is impacting their lives at an influential school. She has already invested $10 of her own money into Ravens and plans to do as much as she can to give back to others.
“Ravens taught us to love God, to have a budget, to empower other people, to help if I see a person in need, and to love my job and do it with all my heart,” she says.
Harriet dreams of starting her own school one day, where she will serve as the head administrator.
“Ravens gave me capital. I go to the school to ask for a job, and I have the capital to offer. Because of my experience, I can manage the classroom,” she says.