Barikisu is no stranger to being strong. As a cancer survivor who lost her father at a young age, resilience is all she knows.  

She and her siblings were raised by her mother near our Wa site in Ghana. After her father passed away, she was blessed by the support of a wonderful Chalice sponsor.  

But soon, tragedy struck. 

As a young teenager, Barikisu was diagnosed with cancer. Her only option was to head to Accra, Ghana’s capital, for treatment – 700 kilometres away. 

“This was the most difficult moment for her family,” writes Abraham, Wa’s site director, “because the cost of travelling coupled with the treatment, feeding and accommodation was beyond the strength of her mother.” 

But where God has a will, God gives a way. 

Barikisu and her mother applied for support through Chalice’s critical needs fund. And when we say Chalice supporters showed up, we mean they really showed up. 

With the support of our donors, the cost of treatment was completely covered. To top it all off, her sponsor personally covered the travel expenses, cost of food, and some of the medical bills. 

Thanks to this incredible generosity, Barikisu has recovered from cancer, and is back where she belongs: the classroom. 

From there, she plans to channel her experience in hospital into her new goal: becoming a nurse and helping people like her.  

It’s a beautiful full-circle moment, isn’t it?  

Learn more about helping young people like Barikisu through our critical needs fund!  

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