Dr. Given Kachepa strides confidently into his practice, greeting a 17-year-old patient who's come in to have her braces tightened.
"Hello. How are you?"
Life in the United States is quite different now for the 29-year-old Kachepa, compared to how it started as an 11-year-old orphan.
From his office, filled with fading family photos and handicrafts from his native Zambia, he reflects on how he first bought in to the allure of the American Dream.
"I came to the United States without a dollar in my pocket," says Dr. Kachepa. "The only thing I had was hope."
'Sing, or we won't feed you'
Born in a little village called Kalingalinga, Zambia, Kachepa met a man named Keith Grimes in 1998.
Grimes, a pastor from Whitesboro, TX, just outside Dallas, ran a high-profile, faith-based endeavor called TTT: Partners in Education.
He offered Kachepa and 11 other boys, an amazing opportunity. Come to the United States and sing in front of audiences, as part of an a cappella boy's choir.
In exchange, the young singers would earn money for themselves, and more to send back to their families. They would also receive a U.S. education and help raise funds to build a school back in their village.
Source : http://edition.cnn.com/
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