The simple act of kindness that made a profound difference: A lesson on empathy, compassion and generosity from the field
“They say education is the key to success. But what happens when poverty keeps a child from even finding the door?”
In September 2024, one of our enumerators travelled to Boma Village in the YKK Chiefdom, Pujehun District, to collect data for a study on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes in Early Childhood Education. The assignment was clear: assess the learning levels of children from Grade 1 to Grade 5. What was not expected, however, was that this professional journey would turn into a life-changing personal story.
Among the children surveyed was one who stood apart, not because of his performance, but because he wasn’t enrolled in school at all.
Morry had lost both parents to illness and was living with his aunt, a woman doing her best to letters and counted numbers. Morry stood at a distance, quietly watching, his eyes carrying the weight of longing and loss. Provide food but unable to afford uniforms, books, or school fees. As other children recited
That day, our enumerator, Sylvester Kambo, couldn’t shake off Morry’s image. He had come to collect data, but instead left with the burden of a young boy’s broken dream.
The decision that followed was simple but profound: Morry’s future had to change. Out of empathy and conviction, our staff member chose to personally sponsor Morry’s education, covering enrolment, uniforms, and learning materials.
Months later, during the end-line survey in June 2025, the transformation was undeniable. Morry, once silent and sidelined, now sat in the front row of his class, confidently answering questions and reading the English alphabet. He could solve basic math problems and carried himself with a new spark of hope.
In that moment, research moved beyond numbers, it became living proof of the power of opportunity.
Today, Morry is not another child from a survey. He is now a son, an inspiration, and a reminder of what it means to truly care. His journey is an affirmation that when we invest in one child, we uplift generations.
At Meraki, we believe that data is about people and people are the reason data matters. Research informs, but it is compassion that transforms.
Because sometimes, the greatest achievement in life is not in the reports we publish, but in the lives we touch.
This story was shared by Sylvester Kambo, one of our dedicated enumerators at Meraki Analytics. His experience is a powerful reminder that behind every dataset are real lives, real challenges and real opportunities to create change. 
Written by Tracy Jac-During, Communications Manager Meraki Analytics
