Rija

Rija* was 14 years old when his dad abandoned him. He and his mother struggled to make ends meet, and ended moving into a one room tiny apartment in the Malagasy city of Ivato.

His mother was highly educated, but couldn't afford alone the costs of Rija's education. She worked two jobs and barely could afford enough rice to feed them both. Their electricity was turned off occasionally.

Rija and his mother knew the Malagasy poverty cycle all too well. If Rija didn't attend school, he and his children would live poor for the rest of their lives.

After a lot of prayer and discussion, they decided together that they couldn't afford to both eat and send Rija to school. So they worked out a simple solution. Rija and his mom wouldn't eat on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays in order to pay for his education. They were hoping that such a sacrifice would pay itself back later.

Rija happily obliged and went to school often on an empty stomach. He enjoyed playing basketball, but there were days he was too tired, hungry and dizzy to play with his friends after school.

Eventually, a kind couple from the United States provided a year's worth of rice and beans to this young family so he could attend school on a full stomach.

Want to help kids like Rija? Donate to Malagasy youth conferences today! http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-malagasy-children/115399

*Name was changed