Joseph is 13 and has wanted to be a chef for as long as he can remember.
He is the oldest of four children and lives with his mother, who works hard but still struggles to cover the household costs. So Joseph works too.
During the 2022 school year he missed more than 50 days of class to help his family earn money. When he did attend he was often so tired that he hardly spoke to classmates or teachers. He planned to wait until he turned 18 and then leave school to work full time, because it seemed like his only choice.
Educate the Children Foundation sponsored Joseph to complete his GED. Now he works during the day to support his family and studies in the evenings.
Asked about the days he missed, Joseph says family comes first, and that he worked to keep a home for them. He sees the GED as a path toward becoming a chef while still looking after his mother and siblings.
Life is still a mix of hard work and study, but for the first time in a long while he can see light at the end of a difficult period.
