“I have always wanted to study and graduate from high school,” Berta Alicia says. While that might seem like a reasonable goal, it is anything but easy—in rural Guatemala, 80% of indigenous students drop out of school by the seventh grade. Thanks to Berta Alicia’s...
Luisa isn’t supposed to be in school. She had been accepted into the Scholarship & Youth Development Program and matched with a sponsor, but shortly before the school year started last January, her sister called to tell us that Luisa, who is only 13 years...
The pain was unbearable. Sitting still for more than a few minutes was an exercise in intense concentration, but Reyna Por Rodriguez had no other choice. She tried to block out the pain, instead focusing on the teacher’s soft voice at the front of the room and the...
Strength of a Soul by Gina Regan She doesn’t know how to make the wretched world right, troubled by the turmoil on every map, Earth’s canvas checkered with chaos. She wants to squeeze her sad eyes shut, Allowing no sliver of bright light to penetrate her calm, dark...
As we celebrate the focus on girls education thanks to Malala Day, Girl Rising, and other amazing efforts to educate girls around the world, we wanted to bring you the story of Cindy Marroquin, a girl excited about her education in Guatemala. “I need three...
