Now at 18, she is the oldest youngster living in the home.  As such, she takes on a parenting role getting up early every morning before the rest of the family wakes up.  After washing herself and straightening her bed area, she sweeps the home and readies the day for the younger siblings. Early in the morning she is the one who will go to the garden to gather vegetables for the day’s relish, a cooked sauce of mixed vegetables in which the nshima is dipped.
She has always lived with different extended family members while pursuing her studies and working to pay for her own tuition and living expenses. She completed her high school, although failed to past her math exams. After expressing her interest in the medical field, we encouraged her to first complete her math requirements. She walks 45 minutes each way to attend National Correspondence College where she is receiving adult classes to help her pass the math class needed to enroll in nursing school. Our hope is to be able to assist Naluca in some way throughout college, and encourage her to give back to her society. She will be the first Vima Lupwa Home youngster who will be able to assist the home in its quest to becoming self-sustaining.  She is incredibly nurturing and often visits the local hospital to council and encourage the patients.