In Uganda, families band together in times of strife. The child we are featuring this week, a young and optimistic 18-year old from Uganda, lost both of her parents to HIV/AIDS-related sickness when she was six years old. She was immediately taken in by her maternal grandmother, who eventually became too old to care for her. Maria has been living with her maternal uncle and her maternal aunt has helped pay some of the school bills but has a low-income job so could not afford the entire payment. Regardless of her inability to pay for school, Maria's aunt kept her housed, fed and safe, a miraculous feat that was only made possible by the help of other extended family members like her uncle.
